Ellen Kutter paints her past and present experiences in oil. Some works are highly personal and densely layered, while others take a more conceptual approach that can lead towards abstraction.
The paintings in this series depict the resurgence of childhood atmospheres – the fleeting nature of the moment and playfulness as a way of approaching the world. Blurring upon blurring and painting in transparent layers, along with the emphasis on often inconspicuous details or contradictions, create an intensification of this situational, playful perspective. Her technique is rooted in that of the old Dutch masters, while not adhering strictly to their conventions and instead opening up space for her own painterly explorations. Painted media effects – such as the light and indeterminacy of analog photography – recreate the atmosphere of these memories. Each painting starts with an experience, a gesture; the painting opens a new perspective on it.
Biography
Ellen Kutter is an artist who grew up in Hamburg in the 90s. She has been painting with oil since her youth and now works at the shared “Studio 107” in Hamburg-Altona.
During her studies, she also engaged intensively with performance art – an involvement that still resonates in her painting today: her work combines a strong interest in exploring spaces, situations, and actions through painterly means. She teaches conceptual oil painting seminars at the University of Lüneburg. Since recently becoming a mother, the reflection of her own childhood is a present focus of her artistic practice.