Klaus
Lange "Seaklaus"
THE
ART OF SHIP'S SIDES:
An Essay by Val Stokes, Long
Island, NY
Every ship’s hull tells a story – a painted one, that reveals a
narrative in the abstract. Seaman and artist Klaus Lange focuses his
camera on this wonderful narrative. The ship’s sea-worn hull, like a
painted canvas, is the product of much life spent, much time passed, and
much potential beauty found in the interim. It is a most poetic
container of time and record that Lange’s camera brings into focus.
His photographic images find the sublime in physical struggle and
natural beauty. In such a way, his work references modernist
abstraction. Yet, his work is a photographic representation of paint --
optically not unlike a Jules Olitski or Clifford Still painting.
Lange’s work delicately transforms ships’ water-worn, sea-affected
finish, into a heroic skin of painted abstraction. In essence, he finds
and highlights intriguing moments of abstraction at sea. In this way his
work is quite traditional, yet Lange’s unique subject matter –
photographed paint, makes his work quite radical as well. Lange’s
photographs are a simultaneous indulgence in, and criticism of,
painterly expression. It is a rethinking of painting and photography’s
visual mechanics. He offers a new way to see abstract painting, and
simultaneously, a new way to see photography. Lange puts forth a new
type of painting meta-narrative – the story of nature diminishing
materiality, told through abstract photography. Quite amazing are the
inventive and seemingly purposeful forms that the sea has worn onto
certain ships. Lange’s abstraction is a thoughtful look at these
stunning formations. Once mounted onto canvas, the photographic element
of Lange’s work becomes less apparent. What initially appears to be a
painting, upon second look is seen as a photographic Giclee print. The
mounting and presentation of these photographs is a poignant commentary
on painting, whereby the ship’s sea-worn story is told like that of an
abstract expressionist’s.
Statement
:
As
a merchant seaman I photograph the worn paint on the sides of ships at
sea. A ship’s hull is like a great expressionist canvas on which I
portray both physical struggle and natural beauty, and with that, I
capture the story told by the ship's own paint. Through my work I offer
a new way to see abstract painting, and at the same time, a new way to
see photography.
Exhibitions
:
Raw Arts
Festival, (Juried Group) London, UK, August 2004
Period Gallery (Juried), Lincoln, NE, May 2004
Gallery Now, (Juried) 2004 Online Exhibition
The Armory Show 2003/2004 (Juried) Online Exhibition
East Bay Pro Arts Exhibition (Group) Emeryville, CA, December 2003
17. Annual Celebration of the Arts (Juried), Emeryville, CA, October
2003
Watergate Art Exhibition, (Group), Emeryville, CA, June 2003
16. Annual Celebration of the Arts (Juried), Emeryville, CA, October
2002
Watergate Artist of the Month (Solo), Emeryville, CA, July 2002
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