12 November 2023

Oeuvre of Austrian artist of the 'New Austrian Painting' movement Christian Ludwig Attersee on view in two exhibitions in New York City from mid-November

The work of Austrian artist Christian Ludwig Attersee will be exhibited in two art spaces in Manhattan, New York, beginning in mid-November. Christian Ludwig Attersee, born in 1940, is internationally recognized and considered a leading figure of the 'New Austrian Painting' (Neuen Österreichischen Malerei) movement. Numerous awards, such as the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, underscore his position in the Austrian cultural landscape.

The Galerie Gmurzynska on the Upper East Side will host the exhibition titled 'Attersee. Schön wie seine Bilder – Beautiful Like His Paintings' from November 15, 2023 until January 31, 2024. This exhibition showcases the oeuvre of Christian Ludwig Attersee, which is characterized by double-meanings and satirical views with Austrian dark humor, free associations and sexual innuendo.

Image: The painting 'Urpunsch' (original punch) by Christian Ludwig Attersee from 1978 (acrylic and enamel on primed canvas 105x80/121x96 cm) depicts a dreamlike scenery of symbols around a punch. On top of the glass with fruits is the head of a horned bird and what looks like a sausage or human organ could be reminiscent of a heart, liver or a stomach. © Attersee.

A wide range of works will be on display, from 'Glied Schmuck' to 'Torte mit Speisekugeln und Speiseblau'. The exhibition invites viewers to explore Attersee's work over decades. Mathias Rastorfer of Galerie Gmurzynska mentions in the press release that the Attersee aesthetic, encompassing food, animals, plants, sailing, and eroticism, is not immediately understandable. He suggests that it requires time to discern the various levels of meaning embedded in the colors, shapes, and lines.

Simultaneously, a second Attersee exhibition will open on November 16, 2023, at O'Flaherty's, a hip art space in the East Village known for showcasing innovative art. This exhibition promises a staged world of experience, allowing art enthusiasts to immerse themselves in Attersee's multi-layered works from the 1960s. O'Flaherty's will display Attersee's works until January 15, 2024.