Sargasso Painting

My name is Kathleen Knauer and I was born and grow up in 1981 in Saalfeld / Thuringia / Germany Since 2006 I life and work in Mannheim. I love travelling, nature, oceans. I' m looking for new exhibitions, art-collectors, gallerys. My current work attempts to explore and tame the "controlled accident". The format I choose to do this usually consists of a painting with two spatially separated planes. The background is a kind of "color space" that provides a stage for the controlled accident, which appears as foreground gestures. The choice of colors to fill the space comes from a process of intense reflection, usually while looking at an empty canvas. I allow this decision to be spontaneously directed by my feelings. After the first application of color, many different creative and graphical factors will influence how I proceed. Open and closed shapes, glazed and thick paint, complementary and warm or cold contrasts create tension within the painting that inspire further reflection. There is also tension between the spontaneous, gestural accents and the structures that are crafted through careful deliberation. My main emphasis is on color and its form. It can be smooth, rough, thick, thin, aggressive or affectionate. After the color space has been developed, the painting is ready for the controlled accident. I will now study the color space in detail. This leads to a kind of meditative state which helps me to select the right color and placement for the gesture. I will also choose how to apply the gesture, whether with brushes, buckets, scrapers or various self-made tools. At this stage, I focus inwardly and clench the muscles throughout my whole body. When the peak of tension is reached, the gesture will be released like an explosive eruption and strike the color space. This is what I call the "controlled accident". The results, I hope, share my joy, my energy and freedom in a way that connects and resonates with the emotional experience of others.