CoWorking

Artist list

Barbara Butz, Susanne Elstner, Karin Traxler, Maja Vogl

The weaver Maja Vogl uses the finest threads to produce subtle color tones in her textile work and combines these with the infinite color spectrum of Barbara Butz's ceramic glazes, which are created by differentiating between color oxides. The goldsmith Susanne Elstner takes the graphic motif from a fabric by Maja Vogl and uses it to develop brooches, the basic shape of which is then processed as a repeat on paper by Karin Traxler.

Susanne Elstner is inspired by the unusually soft clay from Barbara Butz's ceramic workshop and uses it to develop innovative rings in silver. Silver rings and round bowls, on the other hand, inspire Karin Traxler to create paper trays with recesses for bowls and vases by Barbara Butz. Maja Vogl's affinity for paper allows her to weave the thinnest of paper yarn into cushions, which then become seat pads for Karin Traxler's large-format cardboard boxes.

What the artists have in common is working with the same basic shapes such as circle, oval, and line, but also matching the color tones. The trades, materials, and the respective handwriting are different. The resulting interaction of the pieces composed to one another creates tension when viewed. By grasping the duality in different forms and functions, the discussion intensifies. The diversity of the trades may direct the viewer's perception to a variety of perspectives, while connections can be reinterpreted. All works stand independently and are connected in harmony with one another. By incorporating synergies and combining functionality, something new may arise in the sense of Aristotle: the whole is more than the sum of its parts. And then Henri Bergson appears again. “Elan Vital” also stands for lively enthusiasm, and nothing could take that from the artists. Perhaps the exhibition can convey this aspect above all.