Gabriele Herzog works the surfaces of her canvas in such a way that the elements of light and dark, or rather, negative and positive space become complex and undefined. What was once positive now appears to be negative. There is a formidable and delicate tension between the balance of positive and negative space. This tension evokes a reaction of emotional immediacy, a sense that the balance could be knocked off kilter at any time. The works are viewed with caution. The finished works expose a sense of calm but are menacing nonetheless.
Her works are a direct nod to abstraction. She focuses on the juxtaposition of block colour and form on the canvas and the subsequent interaction and interpretation of such forms. Her forms, however, although geometric are organic and amorphous. They appear to float and/or to vibrate, with serene subtlety but to dramatic effect. Her intention is to apply as little as possible to the canvas. She prefers to take away, than to add. Her choice to use raw, untreated canvas re- emphasises her desire to express as much as she can with only the essential, and without the need to overwork the expanse of the surface, and hence does not cause interruption to the harmony of the composition. It is this combination of application of paint, and of thought to brushstroke, which keeps her works in precarious balance.
Sascha Gianella
