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| LOTHAR NICKEL Lothar Nickel was born in Dusseldorf, West Germany in 1957. In the heights of the Altissimo mountain range in Northwestern Italy, white clouds mingle with the white rock faces exposed by the stone quarries of Carrara. This is the lofty home of the Carrara marble, a material which the sculptor Lothar Nickel employs in many of his creations. In spite of their physical weight and solidity, these sculptures betray a certain affinity with those fleeting cloud formations. "Nuvola"-Italian for cloud- is the title of one of his creations. Rather than referring to a merely outer similarity of form, this title points to a deeper kinship which the artist experiences between his own working practice and the spontaneous formation and evaporation of clouds. Subtle vapor is molded into huge, floating formations which conjure up a whole world of fabulous animals chasing each other across the sky. In likewise playful fashion the sculptor engages in a creative dialogue with his material, transforming it, as it were, into a pliable and fluid substance. Under his hands fluid movement condenses into form which appears as if imbued with life and soul. The figurative element, when it appears, is not starting point, but a result of a process in which the artist seeks to devise sculptural movements and spatial gestures which echo the inner experience of his own corporeality, his keen interest in life and his empathy for all ensouled creatures, be it animal or man. Lothar Nickel invents sculptural characters which develop a life of their own. In the sculpture "Himalaya", for instance, he embodies a kind of fantastical animal which calls upon the viewer to admire the artist's craft in inventing the creature's own life story. Nickel's sculptures derive their vitality and color from the tension between such contrasting qualities as weight and levity, crude materiality and graceful surface refinement, bold three-dimensionality and discreet surface relief, playfulness and geometrical order. The material itself, its color and texture, further contribute to the rich language of sensorial experiences offered by the sculptures. Lothar Nickel's sculptures come to life as a synthesis of his sensitive yet confident mastery of materials and his delight in playfully contrasting different sculptural elements. His creations refrain from seeking after effect and outer monumentality. They touch the viewer by virtue of their delicate vitality and the inwardness with which the artist imbues the inanimate substance. Born: Dusseldorf, Germany, 1957 Education: Alanus School of Art, Bonn, Germany, 1983 Selected Exhibitions: 2002 Bettcher Gallery, Miami, FL 1999 Bettcher Gallery, Miami Beach, FL Outdoor Works 2000, Shippensburg University, PA New Aquarelle, Kunststation Kleinsassen, Hofbieber, Germany Kunst im Garten, Galerie Neef, Schluchtern, Koln Progetto in Cubo, Florence, Italy International Design Fair, Verona, Italy Galerie Ploos van Amstel, Amsterdam, Holland 1998 Kunsthaus Nudling, Flunda, Germany Museum Castle Fasanerie, Eichenzell, Germany Ken Elias Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL 1997 International Sculpture Symposium, Carrara, Italy 1996 Galerie im Forum, Altenschlirf, Germany Symposium Old Materials-New Forms, Schlitz, Germany 1995 International Sculpture Symposium, Seravezza, Italy Galerie A&M, Stuttgart, Germany 1994 Museum of the City of Bad Hersfeld, Germany Kunststation Kleinsassen, Hofbiefer, Germany 1993 Atelier Exhibit, Langenschwarz, Germany 1991 Galerie im Hof, Frankfurt, Germany 1989 Hallenburg, Schlitz, Germany Grants and Memberships: 1999 International Sculpture Center, USA 1994 Progetto Civitella D'Agliano, Grant from the State of Hessen, Germany |
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