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Details of object number: 4700017
Title:Im Atelier
Object name:tableau
Collection:Provincial Council of South Tyrol
Created by:Plattner, Karl (Mals, 1919-02-13 - Milan, 1986-12-08) GND Ulan Wikidata Benezit
Production date:1975 — 1976
Description:Inner space multi colored of Atelier
Hist. crit. notes:Karl Plattner
Plattner was typically wary of making political statements through his art, and dramatic visuals were not his forte. Nevertheless, his work often carried political messages that were more veiled. His remarkable painting “Atelier” (1975 – 1976) is one such example. The immediate impression is that the painting is formalist in style, reminiscent of a Renaissance masterpiece. The well-lit room with diffused lighting is conspicuously devoid of shadows or objects, with light being used as the principal illumination. At the centre lies a rod (used by fresco painters) with residues of paint propped up against the wall, allowing the painter to concentrate on precise brushwork. The vanishing point along this plane extends well beyond the canvas, emphasising the fact that the central space is taken up by the artist at work. To the right, a painting hangs against the wall, and a metre stick lies on the floor, denoting precision. For Plattner, priming his surfaces before starting a painting was essential, marking the beginning of the arduous process of layering and conceptual elaboration. His working tools comprised a tray supporting a paint tin and a piece of cloth, with newspapers and magazines (since the artist must stay informed) randomly strewn across the floor. An open page shows a nude figure from the back, denoting the artist’s need to maintain a suitable media presence. Another newspaper subtly overlaps the signature, with the headline only showing the cut-off letters, LOCKH—a cryptic reference to one of the major political corruption scandals of the 1970s. Convening in 1975 – 1976, an investigative U.S. Senate committee discovered that Lockheed, (a major US aerospace and defence contractor) had paid enormous bribes to politicians in various countries, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, estimated at USD 22 million. What initially seems an inconspicuous detail is, in fact, the artist’s subtle admonition to the political elite, particularly meaningful in the seat of the South Tyrolean Provincial Council.
(Markus Neuwirth, Karl Plattner and the Provincial Council murals, in: Art in the Provincial Council of South Tyrol, Bolzano/Bozen 2024, p. 95, 97)
Plattner was typically wary of making political statements through his art, and dramatic visuals were not his forte. Nevertheless, his work often carried political messages that were more veiled. His remarkable painting “Atelier” (1975 – 1976) is one such example. The immediate impression is that the painting is formalist in style, reminiscent of a Renaissance masterpiece. The well-lit room with diffused lighting is conspicuously devoid of shadows or objects, with light being used as the principal illumination. At the centre lies a rod (used by fresco painters) with residues of paint propped up against the wall, allowing the painter to concentrate on precise brushwork. The vanishing point along this plane extends well beyond the canvas, emphasising the fact that the central space is taken up by the artist at work. To the right, a painting hangs against the wall, and a metre stick lies on the floor, denoting precision. For Plattner, priming his surfaces before starting a painting was essential, marking the beginning of the arduous process of layering and conceptual elaboration. His working tools comprised a tray supporting a paint tin and a piece of cloth, with newspapers and magazines (since the artist must stay informed) randomly strewn across the floor. An open page shows a nude figure from the back, denoting the artist’s need to maintain a suitable media presence. Another newspaper subtly overlaps the signature, with the headline only showing the cut-off letters, LOCKH—a cryptic reference to one of the major political corruption scandals of the 1970s. Convening in 1975 – 1976, an investigative U.S. Senate committee discovered that Lockheed, (a major US aerospace and defence contractor) had paid enormous bribes to politicians in various countries, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, estimated at USD 22 million. What initially seems an inconspicuous detail is, in fact, the artist’s subtle admonition to the political elite, particularly meaningful in the seat of the South Tyrolean Provincial Council.
(Markus Neuwirth, Karl Plattner and the Provincial Council murals, in: Art in the Provincial Council of South Tyrol, Bolzano/Bozen 2024, p. 95, 97)
Material:wood
Technique:painted (mixed technique)
Dimensions:
- height: 69.5 cm
width: 99.5 cm
Physical description:Mischtechnik auf Holz
Keyword:Figurative