Artist of the week.

A couple of weeks, July 14, 2010, in Gary Tatintsian gallery completes the three-month exhibition of German artist Stephan Balkenhol, sculptor

a couple of weeks, July 14, 2010, in Gary Tatintsian gallery ends a long, three-month exhibition of German artist Stephan Balkenhol sculptor. Experts say the proximity of his style to the German social expressionism. At first glance, to work 53-year-old master becomes clear that the main passion Balkenhol - cleanliness anthropomorphism, the image of people without embellishment, without drag pathos in the poses. A major element - this is, of course, wood. Business Cards Balkenhol - carved board with painted reliefs, wooden "antiidoly" - sculptures, which have not known a "cosmetic" skins and deliberately demonstrate gross signs of chisel ...

• Stephen Balkenhol No title. 2003
  relief, wood. 80 x 60
  Phillips. 18.10.2008
  estimate: 10-15 thousand pounds
  The result: 9,000 pounds (plus commission)
  Source: artprice.com

Where is it? From what age? But is our time, from the 2000's? Clothing and hairstyles, of course, will be given epoch. Historians guess. Yes - the 2000th. Although some may say that is strange: in the 2000th's so not done. Other aesthetics, outside the mainstream of the fair. On the contrary, something vaguely Renaissance in spirit and naive expressionist in style.

today - during the pressure of trends and fashion in art - not to get lost in the general art-landscape, not to merge with him - is an achievement. One can not help you start to appreciate at least an elementary recognition, no longer believing in the preservation of true identity. For Stephan Balkenhol in this regard can be absolutely calm - in any array of objects of art grabs the eye with confidence his figurative reliefs and sculptures coarse texture. Yes, it is easy to slip into some prints (300-700 euros), or drawings Balkenhol (500-1000 euros), but his tree - never.

• Stephen Balkenhol Big man with little man on his hands. 1997
  tree. 100 x 248 x 125
  Christie's. 14.05.2009
  estimate: 50-70 thousand dollars
  Result: 80 000 USD (plus commission)
  Source: artprice.com
• Stephen Balkenhol
  woman in a red dress. 2001
  wood, mixed media. 29,2 x 149,9 x 53.3
  Phillips. 13.11.2009
  estimate: 30-40 thousand dollars
  Result: 20 000 USD (plus commission)
  Source: artprice.com

Balkenhol difficult to call the auction by the artist. I do not want the so called because for him it is not the most appropriate format. Nevertheless, the history of public sales of his works are impressive: more than 300 auction results, of which about 200 have a wooden sculpture and reliefs. The latter, incidentally, in the archives often stopped at the painting class, where no one would guess them to look. In the current auction statistics spectacular medium sized prints Balkenhol on the tree recently sold at auction in the range of 400-800 euros. Wooden sculptures height of about 1.2 meters from the buyers in the range of 40-50 thousand euros. The large three-meter sculpture can cost 60-80 thousand euros. A piercing on the mood and comfortable in possession of the reliefs on wood collectors have recently been able to buy for 15-20 thousand euros. But it must be understood, the results of the auction, where, with a particularly successful set of circumstances the buyer can theoretically buy things at prices far below of gallery.

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In terms of career development for Stephanou Balkenhol by collectors and investors should not be an issue: he plays by the rules. The artist is actively involved in the exhibition process, and his works have found place in many museums of modern art in the U.S. and in Europe. Balkenhol a little over fifty, and he works a lot. His work has long been part of the "clip" the world's leading auction houses, and regularly sold in the auction of contemporary art. What is perhaps more important, sculpture Balkenhol - a frequent guest at major international fairs. At Basel "and" Cologne "his job does not require representation. All of this works "in plus". Just like that a lot of work in the market and that market is sufficiently liquid. In any case, the reasons to hasten the closure of the exhibition at Tatintsian is not enough. Another chance to thoroughly look Balkenhol in an array of fall any time soon. And if the wood expressionist anthropomorphism you prefer thorough conceptual liveness fashionable Antony Gormley or surrealism Alberto Giacometti (one of his favorite sculptors Balkenhol), it is a weak excuse. One's not a hindrance.

• Stephen Balkenhol Working with a personal Exhibition Gallery Gary Tatintsian
  Source: tatintsian.com
• Reliefs Balkenhol at the exhibition Art Basel 2010
  Source: kawarga.livejournal.com

material prepared by Vladimir Bogdanov, AI