2x2 Projects A'dam presents Filter by Torsten Ruehle

 

War, 2009

Coffee and cake, 2009

Roulette, 2008

Outland empire, 2008

In his collection named Filter, German artist Torsten Ruehle transforms movie stills, newspapers or photographs into surrealistic white washed images. 2x2 Projects in Amsterdam presented 12 paintings of this Dresden born artist. From a distance the paintings seem painted over with white. The density of the white is different on the paintings from opaque to transparent. This gives the space another dimension and a strange sphere. Dark lines outline all forms in the painting. When looking carefully one can see little details added with colored pencil or pen, which makes the viewer question. Some images are recognizable movie scenes. In all the images the artist adds elements to change the subject matter of the image, referring to different happenings in society. In one big painting he added a machine to an avalanche simulation, this would spin to different symbols like love and religion to define its destiny.

Two of his works were framed pieces, they are found painted photographs from the war period. The subjects on these pictures where outlined by a thick black outlining making it very graphic. Some faces where painted over with white paint, covering its identity. A smiley face drawn with pen emphasizes the absent person. Who may or did not come home. He recreates and points out possibilities of the continuation of the story. His pieces have the playfulness of a cartoon drawing while being a convincing painting about serious or light subjects.  You look to known or unknown images with the artists filter.