Inge KRACHT

Reflections

The world could be seen as consisting of certain states of energy, which manifest
themselves through matter. If one translates “energy” by “spirit” or if one defines the immaterial in this way, one could also say that matter conditions spirit and vice versa. The question also arises as to whether it is of compelling logic to keep both – spirit and matter – apart when particles of matter exist in different concentrations of energy and those differences influence and shape the phenomena of this world.

Objects and states are likely to hold similar truths, if not one and the same truth. Or perhaps they only exist by virtue of our mind and imagination because we are exclusively directed by our immediate sensory perception?

In the language of science, energy and matter are described in terms of physical and chemical states or systems and figures respectively. All that cannot be proved by physical formulas, systems and figures, remains mystic, gives rise to the question of a power beyond human control, is paraphrased as “soul” or something that does not exist, as “nothing” or “emptiness”. In search of the smallest indivisible particle, science hopes to find an answer to that great question of the origin and nature of all existence.

Quotation from Erwin Schrödinger, Geist und Materie, Zürich 1989: „.....Es sind die gleichen Gegebenheiten, aus denen die Welt und mein Geist gebildet sind. Die Welt gibt es für mich nur einmal, nicht eine existierende „und“ eine wahrgenommene Welt. Subjekt und Objekt sind nur eines. Man kann nicht sagen, die Schranke zwischen ihnen sei unter dem Ansturm neuester physikalischer Erfahrungen ausgefallen; denn diese Schranke gibt es überhaupt nicht.“

Motivation

In my pictures I juxtapose different manifestations of phenomena which have been chosen by me because of their optical stimuli, a particularly intensive perception, triggering associations or aspects interesting in terms of their contents. I try to look at them from a certain perspective relating to the thoughts described above. But this is not only an attempt to prove something but rather a reflection onpossible or factual states and patterns by means of the techniques of painting and drawing.

Illustrative realism in art is often considered as a decorative and superficial description of things. What I am interested in is, however, not the way of representation itself or my preference of a tendency towards photo realism. The technique I use seems to be suitable to recapitulate something that has been perceived intensively once again as “something that has been seen in that special way” or to make it “exist” again in order to visualize at the same time impressions relating to it and give them an optical representation. The script in my pictures usually represents texts of a scientific or philosophical nature, prayers, or specific information about one or the other object depicted. These are not necessarily intended to be read. The ornament and the structures refer to the presence of a pattern or that order which may be the basis of all existence.



Inge Kracht, July 2008