EX, 1997

About the Work

The paintings of Thomas Scheibitz initially raise questions rather than giving answers. An oval whose lower section has been cut off is situated in an only partially defined room which could equally well be no room at all: perhaps an oversized egg, a face, an upside-down vase? Nor does the title EX help in decoding this work oscillating between figuration and abstraction. Scheibitz’ paintings are preceded by drawings of real objects which, upon being transferred into painting, are rendered so abstractly and elaborately that a direct legibility becomes almost impossible. The focus is on form and materiality. What ultimately remains is merely an intimation of something real whose actual status the viewer must evaluate.