Rolf A. Kluenter ‘Fragility Report’ Works 2006 - 2009

‘Fragility Report’ is the third cycle of Rolf A. Kluenter’s Shanghai works that he created in this Chinese Mega-Metropolis during his resident-ship since 2000. This cycle presents a range of works that acquires the density of objects without losing the free form of inwardness that paint evokes. ‘Fragility Report’ gives an insight into Kluenter’s observation of urbanity as an awe-inspiring reality.

Rolf A. Kluenter looked into areas excessively and radically over-constructed by human hand and chose as his central theme an extreme of civilization-appropriation that itself in the rapidly growing Asian metropolises became reality within a very short time. He translates and captures elemental cellular patterns of growth that serializes the depth of unrestrained proliferation of over-construction. This process simultaneously happens with the de-construction of existing urbanity.

In his abstractions, the aesthetics from both worlds -the Western contemporary art inventions and the Oriental artistic traditions- seem to resonate: basic geometric elements calligraphically condensed; subtle running colors casting imaginary spaces; lines and hatching; application of the brush and meander, glazes and overlapping; blank spaces and contrast. His entire repertoire of non-representational filigree shapes, an essentially free interplay of artistic elements, is reminiscent of, but not identical with, handwriting.

Kluenter applies a wide range of color media (fine color pigments, nail polish from fashion trends, enamel sprays from metallurgy and Chinese ink) to the canvas whose surfaces combined with these media yield their own particular textures, inextricably interweaving transparency with color, fragility with strength and, thus creating a subtle experience of "pure materiality".

All elements put together to create a melting merger atmosphere could therefore have a very well meditative balance, representing a peaceful dialogue between the various applications and media, wouldn't Kluenter have integrated some medium-seriously disruptive action: irritating dots and spots, fractures, slants and distortions. He doesn't call this particular cycle of works "fragility report" without reason, alluding thereby to the vulnerable and fragile aspects of life, a suddenly appearing catastrophe, the unexpected crisis or the abrupt obstacles which radically demonstrate that the experience of insecurity, uncertainty and impermanence are the ever-present co-emerging factors of our existence. Kluenter's ‘Fragility Report’ in this sense can be seen as an artistic answer to unforeseen encounters on a virtual map: they show the borders of the enlightened art history and refer indirectly to other human abilities: improvisation for example.

Rolf A. Kluenter, an on-going experimenter in his domain, often displays his paintings in series as ever so many declinations of basic emotional positions. His works, as himself, are situated between cultures, crossing borders, intersecting at cross-cultural pathways in the concrete as well as the artistic domains.