Berliner Liste 2012

Michael Luther's devotion to painting is a calculated threat to superficiality. With masterly techniques he creates a bold realism that wants to penetrate the things themselves. Sublime colour landscapes, concrete architectural studies and space atmospheres with anthropomorphic qualities, miniaturisations and “gargantuanism”, light studies and self-reflections: Luther often sends his viewers into apparently uninhabited spaces and let them discover hidden images lurking beneath the surface for themselves.

Luther’s previous work with monumental, hyper-realistic colour compositions of overwhelming sensuality, like “Die große Liebe“ (2001), “Aufbruch” (2006) or “Colourado” (2005) has increased his reputation as a renowned artist since 2001. The large format colour landscape “Colourado” is going to be on display in September 2012 as the key work of the BERLINER LISTE and will be seen in the halls of the art fair. Currently Luther is experimenting with subtle monochrome marbled prints, that resemble X-ray images of his colourful landscapes.

With allegorical sophistication and open ambiguity Luther defies social exhaustion by experimenting and applying his artistic techniques to the subjects of the Old Masters. Guided by essential questions of life "Who am I?", "Where do I come from?", "What am I doing?", Luther is bringing back forgotten issues of art history that have been lost at various times: Painting as a metaphysical act of self-assurance.   

Verena Voigt, Art Historian, 2012