NO MAN’S LAND (quadriptych) Print

NO MAN’S LAND Quadriptych 2021 (4 pieces) Complete dimension with a hanging distance of 5 cm / 1,96 in between the 4 pieces: hung as a square with 2 in a row: 65 (h) x 53 (w) x 2 cm / 25,6 (h) x 20,9 (w) x 0,79 in hung side by side: 30 (h) x 111 (w) x 2 cm / 11,8 (h) x 43,7 (w) x 0,79 in dimension of each piece 30 (h) x 24 (w) x 2 cm / 11,8 (h) x 9,44 (w) x 0,79 in acrylic and oil on canvas Coronavirus series During World War I, No Man’s Land was both an actual and a metaphorical space. It separated the front lines of the opposing armies and it could also be the most terrifying of places; one that held the greatest danger for combatants. During nightfall each side would dispatch parties to spy on the enemy, or to repair or extend barbed wire posts. Reconnaissance missions were similarly com-mon. Injured men trapped in No Man's Land would often be brought in under cover of darkness, as were corpses for burial. Consequently artillery shelling of No Man's Land was common, quickly reducing it to a barren wasteland comprised of destroyed vegetation and mud-soaked craters. * * * “There was not a sign of life of any sort. Not a tree, save for a few dead stumps which looked strange in the moonlight. Not a bird, not even a rat or a blade of grass. Nature was dead. And death was written large everywhere.” ~ Private R.A. Colwell, Passchendaele, January 1918 “No Man’s Land was like the face of the moon, chaotic, crater-ridden, uninhabitable, awful, the abode of madness.” ~ Wilfried Owen * * * About the background: This quadriptych is one of a monochrome series of current works that artistically deal with the subject of the coronavirus and the effects. There is an existential threat that is not exactly tangible, remains diffuse and yet dominates everything. What does this pandemic do to the individual? What will remain of this strangely depressing time? Sometimes a look at history helps. In modern history, how did previous generations deal with such dramatic episodes? And we understand, there were dramas of completely different dimensions that humans are able to cope with. A war of annihilation raged around a hundred years ago (1914 - 1918) that set the entire world on fire and changed everyone: The First World War is the key event of the 20th century and is still having an impact today. The history books contain the names of the generals and the great battles. But what about the normal individual, the one in the trenches as well as the families who struggled for survival back home? How did you think, how did they feel in the midst of an existential threat that they had no control over? The photos of the battlefields of the First World War, in particular the fighting on the Western Front in Flanders, before Verdun and on the Marne and Somme (between German, French, British, American, Belgian, Australian, New Zealand, Portuguese, and Canadian soldiers) formed the con-crete template for these paintings. The monochrome color scheme of the paintings, dominated by Prussian Blue, refers to the historical black and white photos. The letters that the soldiers at the front wrote back home are well documented. And anyone reading this field post today will notice that the men in the armies (and their families) thought and felt alike despite their opposition. And even more, how similar people were to us with all their hopes and fears at the beginning of the 20th century, more than we probably want to admit. Today these battlefields have been renatured. The fields and forests are quiet and peaceful, and almost nothing gives an inkling of the earlier horror, the trenches, and mass armies that generated unprecedented destructive power with modern weapons. What determined the fate of millions of people is now only a fading memory. And this is exactly what the artworks in this series of paintings tell about. There is a fundamental insight: every horror has an end at some point. The chance to shape life individually and freely again will return. The coronavirus will only remain a temporary episode in all of our lives. And in a hundred years at the latest we won't even remember what is troubling us now, what caused it, whether it was good or bad, and whether it was a medical or a human disaster. The dark fades (too) quickly. Man is a survivor and always looks ahead. And that's how I want the paintings in this series to be understood, despite the difficult subject, as signs of firm hope. * * * This monochrome quadriptych in Prussian Blue offers an aesthetic impression on your wall AND as my authentic and personal artwork an artistic subsurface message. I use exclusively oil and acrylic colors, canvas and wooden frames in a professional museum quality. The paintings have my signature on the front and are signed, entitled and dated on the backside. Deliberately the sides are a part of the paintings. The quadriptych is ready to hang (on the backside: high-quality iron plates with metal inserts and nylon rope for gallery use), unframed and doesn’t need a frame or any additional surface treatment. The four paintings are not connected to each other and each need their own hanging. The piece will be safely shipped in a custom wooden crate. It will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a cover letter. Complete dimension with a hanging distance of 5 cm / 1,96 in between the pieces: hung as a square with 2 in a row: 65 (h) x 53 (w) x 2 cm / 25,6 (h) x 20,9 (w) x 0,79 in hung side by side: 30 (h) x 111 (w) x 2 cm / 11,8 (h) x 43,7 (w) x 0,79 in dimension of each piece: 30 (h) x 24 (w) x 2 cm / 11,8 (h) x 9,44 (w) x 0,79 in Please note: In context pictures are not necessarily to scale and are for illustrative purposes only. If you have any questions about this artwork or any other piece, feel free to contact me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks so much for taking an interest in my work. Warm wishes, Christian

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:8 W x 10 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:13.25 W x 15.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.