Topsy-Turvy: An exhibition of drawing & collage works by Harald Winter

Private View: Saturday 2nd of May 2009 - 6 pm to 11 pm
Exhibition runs from: Friday 1st to 21st of May 2009
The German expression “Drunter und drüber”, which we might best understand as ‘topsy-turvy’, is possibly the most fitting description of the work of Harald Winter. Literally translated this phrase means “under and over”; things randomly scattered, lying around, on top of, and underneath all sorts of other items. Figuratively speaking, the expression refers to a state of disorder and confusion – two ideas which describe not only the character, but also the style of the works displayed in this forthcoming exhibition.

The present style of Harald’s work emerged accidentally when a particular doodle spilled over the page and had to be completed with two additional sheets. Retaining the border-defying spirit of this first drawing, Winter allows himself to be guided by no particular predetermined subject, letting memories and playful streams of consciousness find their own way across the space.

This lucid process is not without risk though; each action could bring a new beginning or a change of direction, conversely some works can never find their resolution, but it is within this uncertainty that excitement is found.

Layered in both their physical style and the subject matter they address, Harald Winter’s works are amalgamations of fragmented ideas and free thoughts, overlapping each other, building layers of meaning. At first glace they may seem playful, yet on closer inspection of the individual works, they are witty and incisive, somewhat reflecting the darker undercurrents of the times, even touching upon current affairs and politics, and definitely pieces that will engage and inspire.