MARKUS VATER
(GBR)
Markus Vater, born in Düsseldorf in 1970, grew up in the Eifel and later studied Fine Art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and the Royal College of Art in London. His work resists categorization, encompassing seemingly naive line drawings, animations, intricate portrait drawings, paintings, photographs, and videos. Vater's work is marked by its intellectual complexity, often engaging with existential themes like the apocalypse, human vulnerability, and the fragility of civilization. At the same time, his art allows for personal interpretation, encouraging fresh and unexpected reflections on life's profound questions. As Beat Wismer notes, his work challenges viewers to engage with their mental faculties in diverse ways.
The drawings Markus Vater selected for the Artstamp edition represent years of observation, exploring the existential framework of human relationships, loneliness, aging, and the fragility of identity. Drawing is at the heart of his practice, though his artistic output also spans paintings, photographs, animations, sculptures, and performances. Vater's study of philosophy, alongside his artistic education, has deeply influenced his approach, particularly in works that combine drawing and text.
Vater's works have been included in significant exhibitions such as Linie, Line, Linea at the Kunstmuseum Bonn, which has traveled to venues like the Museo Nacional del Arte in La Paz, Bolivia, and the Museo de Arte del Banco de la República in Bogotá, Colombia. His art has also been shown at Vilma Gold, Timothy Taylor, Anthony d'Offay, and Union Gallery in London, as well as at prominent institutions like Kunsthalle Mannheim, Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, Museum Gertsch in Switzerland, and Sprengel Museum in Hannover.
Vater's work blends both courtesy and rebellion, with visual and textual elements condensed into a diary-like cosmos, often conveying dark desperation while integrating elements of childlike innocence and sentimentality. His creative flow is undeterred by dreamy nonsense or a harsh critique of contemporary inhumanity, making his work both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. As described by J. Stahl, the flow of Vater's consciousness emerges freely, combining profound seriousness with a unique artistic voice.
Markus Vater's drawings have been acquired for prestigious collections such as the Institute of Foreign Relations (IFA) in Germany, the Grafische Sammlung of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, and the Wilhelm Hack Museum in Ludwigshafen, as well as private collections including the Falkenberg and Frank Cohen Collections.
PUBLISHED 04.5.2016
SIZE 38X32MM (COMBINATION ON FULL PRINT SHEETS)
G76 ED. 300
G77 ED. 300
G78 ED. 300
