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Johannes Schramm

December 5 - January 3 | St. Helena

In my newest series with water lilies, I confine myself solely to the portrayal of nature. Upon close observation, a complex composition of overlapping layers and visual effects are revealed. Vegetation floating on the water crisscrosses vegetation reflected in the water. Between flat overlying leaves, new shoots break through the surface and unfurl into into shapes such as sails or shells. The water is still and motionless until the wind picks up. Then the water starts to move and the waves blur the boundaries between above and below the water's surface.

Biography

Quiet, cool, and mysterious, the photorealistic paintings of Johannes Schramm do not depict water so much as conjure its essence. A longtime swimmer, Schramm first became fascinated with water scenes twenty years ago, when he began photographing the entrances to pools—handrails and staircases descending into water—on his regular swims. The point where solid reality begins to mingle with the liquid world continues to be a central focus: in his canvases, bits of geometry and tangible matter (pool tiles, lane lines, plant life, buoys) cuts through, overlays, and reflects upon the water, creating endless visual puzzles.

In the water, Schramm has written, “rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend. The deeper they plunge, the more straight lines dissolve into curved lines, and shapes are disintegrated and thrown together. It is disordered geometry, interspersed with reflections, that I see when looking at the water surface.” Of his recent paintings involving water lilies and other plant life, he notes how, on closer inspection, “vegetation floating on the water crosses over with vegetation mirrored in the water, while between flat-lying leaves, new shoots break through the surface and uncoil themselves into forms such as sails or shells.”

Along with his poetically conceived liquid surfaces, Schramm continually offers surprising perspectives—sometimes positioning the viewer looking down into a pool from above, other times giving us a swimmer’s view, immersed in the waves. As German artist and professor Kurt Haug has said of his paintings, “one goes beyond the enjoyment of their aesthetic surface stimuli and, as if imperceptibly sinking deeper, delves into the essence of the element, which they rewrite in infinite variations.”

Born in 1965 in Munich, Schramm studied fine art at the University of Art in Kassel. He has held exhibitions in Germany, Spain, Denmark and beyond, and lives and works in Kassel, Germany.

Born

1965  Munich, Germany.


Education

1974 Kunsthochschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany


Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022  "Recent paintings" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, St Helena, Napa                      Valley, California

2019 "Still waters"  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018 "Pools and Ponds”, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2016 "buoys-leaves-pools" Galerie Terminus, München

2015 "Still water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spain

2011 "Poolpositions" Galerie Terminus, München

2010 "poolside" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

2009 Galerie Wild, Zürich

2008 Galerie Roland Aphold, Basel

2006 "poolpaintings" Hilton Frankfurt

2005 "poolpaintings" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main


Selected Group Exhibitions

2020  "H2O" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art

            "Landschaft" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art

2019  "Shape, colours & form"  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018  35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

            “Reflexions” Galerie Terminus, Munich Art Karlsruhe

             Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary

2017 "Personal Structures" Palazzo Bembo, Venedig

             "Wasser" Kunstverein Bad Nauheim

             "Dreigestirn" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt

             "16 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss", Marburg

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami

2016 "15 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss" Marburg

             Art Miami

2015 "Künstler der Galerie und Gäste" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt/Main

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami

2014 "Just add water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spanien

             "Nordart" Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf

             "Artothek Kassel-eine Bestandsbesichtigung"

             Documentahalle, Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Southhampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami

2013 "Vertikal" Projekt 387 Quadratmeter, Kulturbahnhof Kassel

Art Southhampton, Art Miami

2012  Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss, Marburg (mit C. Canale und C. Kochs)

             "first choice" Galerie Terminus, München

             Art Southampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami

2011 "in the summertime" Galerie Wild, Zürich (mit N. Nolte und M. Ehmann)

             "30 Jahre Galerie Wild" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "Mixed up" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Art Copenhagen, art fair Köln, Kunst 11 Zürich

2010 "behind the shadows" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "Klassentreffen" Galerie Liebau, Burghaun

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Copenhagen, Kunst 10 Zürich

2009 Kurbad Jungborn / Museumsnacht Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 09 Zürich

2008  "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "summerjam-made in 08" Galerie T40, Düsseldorf

             Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 08 Zürich, Bridge Art Fair Miami

2007 "different perspectives" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main (E mit C. Erdmann)

             Galerie Liebau, Burghaun (mit Schmitt-Menzel)

             "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

             Art Karlsruhe

2006 "Kennen Sie jemanden hier?" Kulturbahnhof, Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe

2004 "H2O" Galerie Schmalfuss, Marburg

             "summer-spots" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

             art fair Köln

Press

PRESS

Selected Artworks

Into the Grey

Into the Grey

Oil on Canvas

31.75 x 40.50 inches framed

24418

Diving Leaves

Diving Leaves

Oil on Canvas

21 x 33 inches framed

24417

Le Canard Noir

Le Canard Noir

Oil on Canvas

31 x 20 inches

24407

Headwind 2

Headwind 2

Oil on Canvas

60.75 x 21.50 inches framed

24406

Clouds in a Garden

Clouds in a Garden

Oil on Canvas

49 x 31.25 inches framed

24405

Headwind

Headwind

Oil on Canvas

61 x 73 inches framed

24404

Crosswind

Crosswind

Oil on Canvas

59 x 59 inches

24403

Afterwork at the Lake

Afterwork at the Lake

Oil on Canvas

40.5 x 25 inches framed

24134

Light Green Lakeshore

Light Green Lakeshore

Oil on Canvas

59 x 79 inches

23304

In Reed

In Reed

Oil on Canvas

24 x 30 inches

220395

Nove Lazne

Nove Lazne

oil on canvas

47 x 79 inches

190025

Buoy

Buoy

oil on canvas

47 x 63 inches

190017

Born

1965  Munich, Germany.


Education

1974 Kunsthochschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany


Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022  "Recent paintings" Caldwell Snyder Gallery, St Helena, Napa                      Valley, California

2019 "Still waters"  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018 "Pools and Ponds”, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2016 "buoys-leaves-pools" Galerie Terminus, München

2015 "Still water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spain

2011 "Poolpositions" Galerie Terminus, München

2010 "poolside" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

2009 Galerie Wild, Zürich

2008 Galerie Roland Aphold, Basel

2006 "poolpaintings" Hilton Frankfurt

2005 "poolpaintings" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main


Selected Group Exhibitions

2020  "H2O" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art

            "Landschaft" Schmalfuss Berlin Contemporary Fine Art

2019  "Shape, colours & form"  Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

2018  35th Anniversary Show, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, San Francisco

            “Reflexions” Galerie Terminus, Munich Art Karlsruhe

             Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary

2017 "Personal Structures" Palazzo Bembo, Venedig

             "Wasser" Kunstverein Bad Nauheim

             "Dreigestirn" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt

             "16 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss", Marburg

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami

2016 "15 Jahre Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss" Marburg

             Art Miami

2015 "Künstler der Galerie und Gäste" Galerie Gering, Frankfurt/Main

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Miami

2014 "Just add water" CCA Andratx, Mallorca Spanien

             "Nordart" Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf

             "Artothek Kassel-eine Bestandsbesichtigung"

             Documentahalle, Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Southhampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami

2013 "Vertikal" Projekt 387 Quadratmeter, Kulturbahnhof Kassel

Art Southhampton, Art Miami

2012  Galerie Michael W. Schmalfuss, Marburg (mit C. Canale und C. Kochs)

             "first choice" Galerie Terminus, München

             Art Southampton, art fair Köln, Art Miami

2011 "in the summertime" Galerie Wild, Zürich (mit N. Nolte und M. Ehmann)

             "30 Jahre Galerie Wild" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "Mixed up" Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Art Copenhagen, art fair Köln, Kunst 11 Zürich

2010 "behind the shadows" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "Klassentreffen" Galerie Liebau, Burghaun

             Art Karlsruhe, Art Copenhagen, Kunst 10 Zürich

2009 Kurbad Jungborn / Museumsnacht Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 09 Zürich

2008  "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Zürich

             "summerjam-made in 08" Galerie T40, Düsseldorf

             Galleri Jules Julian, Kopenhagen

             Art Karlsruhe, Kunst 08 Zürich, Bridge Art Fair Miami

2007 "different perspectives" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main (E mit C. Erdmann)

             Galerie Liebau, Burghaun (mit Schmitt-Menzel)

             "Eiszeit" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

             Art Karlsruhe

2006 "Kennen Sie jemanden hier?" Kulturbahnhof, Kassel

             Art Karlsruhe

2004 "H2O" Galerie Schmalfuss, Marburg

             "summer-spots" Galerie Wild, Frankfurt/Main

             art fair Köln

Quiet, cool, and mysterious, the photorealistic paintings of Johannes Schramm do not depict water so much as conjure its essence. A longtime swimmer, Schramm first became fascinated with water scenes twenty years ago, when he began photographing the entrances to pools—handrails and staircases descending into water—on his regular swims. The point where solid reality begins to mingle with the liquid world continues to be a central focus: in his canvases, bits of geometry and tangible matter (pool tiles, lane lines, plant life, buoys) cuts through, overlays, and reflects upon the water, creating endless visual puzzles.

In the water, Schramm has written, “rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend. The deeper they plunge, the more straight lines dissolve into curved lines, and shapes are disintegrated and thrown together. It is disordered geometry, interspersed with reflections, that I see when looking at the water surface.” Of his recent paintings involving water lilies and other plant life, he notes how, on closer inspection, “vegetation floating on the water crosses over with vegetation mirrored in the water, while between flat-lying leaves, new shoots break through the surface and uncoil themselves into forms such as sails or shells.”

Along with his poetically conceived liquid surfaces, Schramm continually offers surprising perspectives—sometimes positioning the viewer looking down into a pool from above, other times giving us a swimmer’s view, immersed in the waves. As German artist and professor Kurt Haug has said of his paintings, “one goes beyond the enjoyment of their aesthetic surface stimuli and, as if imperceptibly sinking deeper, delves into the essence of the element, which they rewrite in infinite variations.”

Born in 1965 in Munich, Schramm studied fine art at the University of Art in Kassel. He has held exhibitions in Germany, Spain, Denmark and beyond, and lives and works in Kassel, Germany.

Johannes Schramm
Biography

Press

December 5 - January 3 | St. Helena

In my newest series with water lilies, I confine myself solely to the portrayal of nature. Upon close observation, a complex composition of overlapping layers and visual effects are revealed. Vegetation floating on the water crisscrosses vegetation reflected in the water. Between flat overlying leaves, new shoots break through the surface and unfurl into into shapes such as sails or shells. The water is still and motionless until the wind picks up. Then the water starts to move and the waves blur the boundaries between above and below the water's surface.

Johannes Schramm

Rigid, strictly functional things begin to bend, and the deeper they plunge, the more straight lines and rectangles dissolve into curved lines and shapes that are disintegrated and thrown together. It is disordered geometry, interspersed with reflections and light reflections, which I see when looking at the water surface.

December 5 - January 3 | St. Helena

In my newest series with water lilies, I confine myself solely to the portrayal of nature. Upon close observation, a complex composition of overlapping layers and visual effects are revealed. Vegetation floating on the water crisscrosses vegetation reflected in the water. Between flat overlying leaves, new shoots break through the surface and unfurl into into shapes such as sails or shells. The water is still and motionless until the wind picks up. Then the water starts to move and the waves blur the boundaries between above and below the water's surface.

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