Larry Gagosian has been on a recruitment kick lately. German painter Albert Oehlen is the latest artist to find new representation with the megadealer, following “bad painter” Neil Jenney last month. Oehlen previously showed with London-based dealer Thomas Dane, who recently opened a new space on Duke Street with a final exhibition of Oehlen’s work.
The five pieces, ranging from €175,000 and €285,000, sold out before the opening. Dane remains polite about the whole thing, telling the Financial Times of the defection: “Albert decided he would benefit from showing with Gagosian, who have a global presence. He’s very committed to this show and he is a close friend and will remain so.”
Oehlen will join fellow Neue Wilde artist Martin Kippenberger in Gagosian’s stable. Both are associated with the 1970s German movement, which embraced an expressive, bright style of painting to combat the prevailing minimalism and conceptual art. See Oehlen’s “Earthen Bowl and Blue Shoes” (1993-99) below.
If Gagosian continues at this rate, he’ll have four or five more new additions by New Year’s. Who’ll be next? [Financial Times]
Tags: Albert Oehlen, Gagosian Gallery, Thomas Dane
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Albert Oehlen and Martin Kippenberger both attempted to disassociated themselves with the 1970s German movement New Wild Painting. in Oehelns own words in conversation with Eric Banks Art Forum 2003
‘We had nothing to do with wild painting. The situation then was a bit comparable to today in that a lot of young people got a chance to show their stuff in big exhibitions and there was enthusiasm everywhere. And we participated in all of them, because it was our chance to show, no matter how it would be interpreted. If we were undermining the premise or if it was about us and not the others, that’s something we didn’t have to decide. We just took the chance of being in the show. But the price you paid was that you really didn’t know what you were talking about. It wasn’t very precise. And I knew that there was some misunderstanding–either I’m in the show or the guy next to me is in the show because of a misunderstanding.’