an enigmatic modernist.

A XI 2011

Crossing the boundary between photography, art and sculpture, German artist Christine Erhard’s work is familiar and ambiguous at the same time. The architectural subject matter and modernist aesthetic seem familiar, until the unusual viewpoint and use of materials cause the imagery to appear distorted and other worldly.

Initially studying sculpture, Christine Erhard became increasingly interested in the images of the object, rather than the objects themselves, until photography and its ability to manipulate became her primary focus. She explores various movements within Modernism, with the avant-garde architecture of the Russian Constructivists a theme she returns to over and again.

Christine cites artists of the 1920s such as Laszlo Moholy-Nagy as her inspiration; artists who work in various disciplines – painting, poetry, graphic design, photography. Like Moholy-Nagy, there is a strong graphic quality to her work. For me, these works are both familiar and enigmatic, and very appealing.