Institutional Critique Painting

Peter Vahlefeld's visceral artworks combine a rigorous, process-based practice, continually rethinking the possibilities of painting. Using references to a broad array of sources, including art history, literature, and pop culture, he creates paintings that alternate between flat experience and dimensionality. Perfectly poised between European and American traditions (Art Informel, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art), his work combines complexity into a visual richness that is neither figurative nor abstract. The paintings unfold in an intricate, unpredictable interaction of layers and excess—a constant juggling of paint, prints, fabrics, mediums and effect. They draw their actuality from the collision between the visual codes of mass media and the subjective traces of painterly expression. Peter Vahlefeld studied at Parsons School of Design, NYC (BFA) and currently lives in Berlin. He has participated in a variety of solo exhibitions, art fairs, and venues such as Neumeister Fine Art Auctioneers (Munich), and Sotheby's (Vienna). His work can be found in private and corporate collections throughout Europe, the United States, Asia, and India. Peter Vahlefeld was featured on the German television channel ZDF.