wolfram ullrich

born 1961, Würzburg, Germany

The exhibition of Wolfram Ullrich at the Závodný Gallery in Mikulov explores the work of this renowned German artist within the contexts and connections that he deliberately and programmatically engages with. Among his fundamental themes are the form of the image, its dynamics, materiality, and color spectrum.

The exhibition is installed in a way that allows the viewer to perceive the development of Ullrich‘s work over a longer period of time and to observe his mode of expression through various media – drawing, painting, relief, and freestanding objects.

The author‘s thinking has several unifying characteristics: he exclusively employs elementary geometric vocabulary, which is particularly typical of constructivist art, working with simple forms primarily based on considerations of projective geometry and perspective. Established techniques include a direct plane cut within the image or the bending of the relief surface, which divides the artwork into different levels of height. He defines the relationship of the image or object surface to the surrounding space or wall on which it is hung, as evident in the „Windows“ cycle. Wolfram Ullrich frequently composes his works from several independent segments.

However, his research methods are not strictly founded on strict mathematical approaches and studies; they are depending at the author‘s subjective visual assessment.

It is interesting to perceive the correlations between the initial drawings and the final relief. The blurred ink drawings exude great sensitivity and fragility, showcasing imperfections caused by brush strokes or color dripping. However, the subsequent relief is executed with remarkable precision; changes in color tonality can be observed only in the shading of the side walls, which elevate the image surface upwards, creating a spatial distance from the wall.

Subconsciously, the viewer perceives an extraordinary perspective in the executed works. One might develop a sense that the observed pieces are transforming – enlarging or diminishing, descending or shifting in predestined directions. Despite all artifacts being minimalistic, monochromatic, and lacking the potential for actual kinetic movement, they evoke a range of emotions.

It is precisely the close interaction between the exhibited works and the viewers, along with the response within their emotional and sensory realms, that explains the interest of institutions, private collectors, and auction houses in the artworks of Wolfram Ullrich.

From 1980 to 1986, Wolfram Ullrich studied at the State Academy of Art and Design in Stuttgart, Germany. At the same time, between 1981 and 1985, he pursued Art History studies at the University of Stuttgart. He completed several internships, such as in Wü rttemberg, 1990 and in New York, 1992. He has also received professional awards, including the Helmut Kraft Foundation Prize and the André Evard Prize awarded by the Messmer Foundation in 2010. In addition to exhibiting regularly in Europe, his works are exhibited on other continents /e.g. in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2011, in Miami, USA, 2014…/.

The author lives and works in Stuttgart, Germany.