Galerie Roger Katwijk will be featuring the third solo exhibition of German artist Dirk Salz from February 26 to March 26, 2022.
The title ‘The World is deep’ refers to the fact that truth and reality is never traceable plain on the surface but only in the depth like Paul Cézanne already recognized:
'Nature is not on the surface, yet in the depth. The colours are the expression of this depth on the surface. They arise from the roots of the world. They are their life, the life of ideas.‘ (Quote from Cézanne)
The works of Dirk Salz are remarkable for their transparency and reflective nature, the result of a singular blend of resins and pigments which he applies to cork and multiplex. Salz reveals himself as a master of optical illusion through these perfectly executed pieces, which he refers to paintings; in them, the foreground and background blend seamlessly together. Salz slowly builds these entirely abstract works with infinite care, layer by layer, using a diaphanous, pigmented epoxy resin and creating an immeasurable depth in the process. While the smooth resin reflects the environment in which they are placed, the eye of the viewer goes well beyond that reflection and is pulled deeply into the refined works. This fathomless depth is strongest in Salz’s darker pieces, which compellingly suggest elements partially hidden under the gleaming, reflective surface. An example is the series ‘Deep Dives,’ which makes alluring visual reference to dark, shadow-bound water basins. In the new works Salz is showing 'deep dives‘ composed of same sized rectangles but variable in position and layering - creating new geometrical elements out of themselves and together with the reflection of the environment. New is also a triangulated form of the picture carrier, that gives specific intended identity to the object character of the work. In his round works Salz is showing two coloured fadings.
Completely new work (within the ‘Fadings' series) - transparent digital prints on glass. In each case three panes standing in a row before the wall. The picture the viewer sees, is a trick of the perception, because it’s not really one picture but four (an addition of the three panes and the wall behind) - and the reflections of the surroundings. The specific work is titled ’The four elements’.
Dirk Salz (Bochum, 1962) lives and works in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Salz trained at the Technical University in Aken. From 1979 to 1981, he received private lessons in drawing and painting, and started his own career as an artist in 2002. By 2008, he was showing his work at a range of art events, including Art Miami, Art Dusseldorf, Art Cologne, Kunst Zurich, Solo Project Basel, ARTEFIERA Bologna, and London Art Fair. Dirk salz was featured in many solo exhibitions in his native Germany and abroad. Dirk Salz is represented by well know galleries like, Galerie Löhri in Mönchengladbach(D), Galerie Frey, Wien (A), Galeria Victor Lope, Barcelona (E), Galerie am Lindenplatz, Vaduz (LI), Diana Lowenstein Gallery, Miami (US)
His work can be found in numerous private collections, as well as prominent corporate collections, such as the Akzo Nobel Art Foundation.