Never scratch the Tiger Painting

Inspired by awkward and uncomfortable social situations, Barbara Kuebel hand-crafts life-sized woodcuts that serve as a whole-body experience to the viewer. Although the monochromatic colours virtually pop from the canvas, her aim is never to draw attention away from the monumentality of the picture. The creatures in Kuebel’s work are forced to connect with each other, forming knots and shapes that appear deformed at first glance. Freeing herself from the conventional techniques of woodcutting, Barbara Kuebel emphasizes her resentment towards traditional artistic representations. The figures are pioneers for the emancipation of traditionally accepted artwork. With the freedom to be whoever you want to be, the bodies on the pictures are nowhere near realistic. The contemporary view to realism is questioned as the figures on the canvas transform from the moment they are born. The bodies are uniquely intertwined, reflecting whichever fantasy the viewer sees fit. Much like the artwork, the audience is blessed with a deep sense of individuality, possessing the ability to undergo indefinite change, and escaping the rigid constructs of society. Barbara Kuebel is driven by a strong desire to escape the conventional world of art. Her pieces emphasise the deconstruction of the external world, questioning and intertwining reality with fantasy. No matter the creation of her works she does not give a hoot what the end result is. “My works are driven by spontaneous energy, nervousness and an attitude that “cannot wait”. My themes are inspired by the dynamics of crowd and group behaviours. I'm specifically interested how peoples' experiences within "social" situation such as a queue can be transmitted into drawing and graphics. My works are full of action and felt movement and want to tell stories of emotions without words. (Text: P.I. Hammy) To add something on a more private note, I was born and raised in Austria and completed my art-school degrees at Academy of Fine Art, Vienna. I would describe myself as an international person, with life stages in Austria Switzerland, The Netherlands, Brazil and Alabama/ U.S. where I'm living now.