Lot 340: The Reflex, 2003

The Reflex, 2003
Acrylic, thread and yarn on linen.  190 x 300 cm. (74 3/4 x 118 1/8 in).   Signed, titled and dated 'MICHAEL RAEDECKER 2003 'the reflex'' on the reverse.

 Salzburg, Salzburger Kunstverein, Michael Raedecker: Forevernevermore, 24 July - 3 October, 2004; Burgdorf, Museum Franz Gertsch, The Sublime is Now! Das Erhabene in der zeitgenoesisschen Kunst, 2 April - 30 July, 2006

 Exhibition catalogue, Salzburger Kunstverein, Michael Raedecker. Forevernevermore, Salzburg, 2004, pp. 14 - 15 (illustrated)

 The Approach, London

In full command of his dual vocabulary of paint and thread, Michael Raedecker draws our attention more to the painting and the image rather than the technique. A particular fascinating aspect in Raedecker’s work is his unusual use of yarn and embroidered elements in combination with acrylic paints. His paint is often applied very thinly or literally piled onto the canvas.The thread plays a considering role in the central structure of the painting.
Raedecker’s painting depicts haunting deserted landscapes which are both familiar and disquieting. Deliberately devoid of any kind of explicit narratives, his paintings are nevertheless characterized by a dreamlike cinematic quality like those of dramatic stage sets waiting for actors.
 
The present lot, The Reflex, has a sense of urgency and movement that is different from his larger body of work, the swan seems to be entering the composition in an inelegant outbreak, disturbing the calm of the imagery. Although darkness seems to engulf this image the boldness of colour and movement found in the bird breaks the silence as it breaks the water.This painting, although it does not provide a particular narrative, evokes unrest within the viewer and causes one to question what it was hat triggered the reflex, in turn opening up the possibility of narrative wthin the viewers mind.