The artists Eberhard Marx and Rainer Sperl
Life is complex, uncertain, sometimes threatening and tragic, but also full of positive surprises. This could be the motto of the artist Eberhard Marx.
Mechanics, machines and metal pipes play a central role in his works. They serve as a symbol of complexity and illustrate the many interconnections and networks of the modern world. Everything is connected and interrelated, whereby the difference between cause and effect is often dissolved.
In addition, Marx's depiction of the highly symbolic apple refers to the biblical Fall of Man and its damaging effects on our lives. Man may be a speck of dust in the universe and a small "cog in the wheel" of the modern world, but there he is always both victim and perpetrator. Eberhard Marx is a creative storyteller. He paints fantastic landscapes, mysterious buildings, bizarre cityscapes and quirky figures, in which he often makes use of historical events, philosophical allegories and a good dose of black humor.
His works are also characterized by a high degree of creative and technical skill. He cultivates a style of painting whose precision, accuracy and attention to detail help to masterfully underpin his unique visual language. The results are paintings that initially overwhelm the viewer, challenge them to interpret them and ultimately perhaps make them smile.
As Marx's works are not only original and enigmatic, but also multi-layered due to the effects of collage and distortion, they invite the viewer to take a closer look and engage with them intensively. They are both disconcerting and entertaining and thus his exhibition undoubtedly makes for an intellectually challenging and enjoyable art experience.
Rainer Sperl
born in Chemnitz, trained as a carpenter, studied applied arts in Heiligendamm and created his first clay sculptures there. And whether he was a film architect at DEFA or head of set design at Potsdam's Kabarett am Obelisk, his passion for sculpture never left him.
At the age of 37, he went freelance and was given his first personal exhibition by VEB Umweltgestaltung und Bildende Kunst in the "Galerie im Keller" in Potsdam, although he tried in vain to be accepted into the Association of Visual Artists during the GDR era. Cultural functionaries, but also fellow artists who consider themselves serious, always have a hard time with humor.
Since he began working as a freelancer in 1986, his artistic work has developed into an inimitable style. His works are unique in their arrangement and whimsical sophistication. His satirical, grotesque, poetic figures and compositions mercilessly reveal their ambiguity.
The artist surprises again and again with his playful creativity and remarkably solid craftsmanship.
Rainer Sperl does not call his work sculptures, object collages or three-dimensional caricatures - no, it is SPERLZEUG. His figures are so full of character that counterfeiters would have a hard time.
The secret of the effect of Rainer Sperl's works is the unpretentious and yet so gripping humor, which despite its enigmatic and not infrequently macabre malice (which, however, never really offends) dispenses with hyper-intellectual sophistry.
Despite their often grotesque nature, his sculptures are full of human love.
Only someone who loves people can make fun of them so unabashedly without offending.
Ralf Schleiff
