About Peter Vahlefeld
Peter Vahlefeld’s work deals with the circulation and recycling of images. His paintings are both complex and multilayered, emotive pictorial palimpsests regarding his use of superimposed sources, which carry an iconographic set of references that can be easily accessed–if they are not obscured beyond recognition. Technically, these are no longer just paintings, but a combination of analog and digital painting, printing and collage. His materials are, amongst other things, over-painted advertisements torn out of art magazines and catalogues, double spread pages of books and auction catalogues, museum shop merchandising, and all sort of printed matter. The artist’s expropriation of these sources is undertaken in order to rearrange their meaning content. Carved, rather than painted, the result of thick layers of paint and digital inkjet prints channels a spectacular sense of depth and painterliness. Fast-paced strokes are offset with steady washes and the consistency of his paint is varied; thin translucent areas are complemented by thick opaque mark making. Inherent to the artist’s creative process is the element of destruction, rubbing out and erasing previous markings, where oil paint seems to have been dragged, pulled and stretched, dripped, splashed, splodged, and splattered across the canvas. At times buttery and fully suspended, at others sand-paper dry, his grounds are as interesting to examine close up as from a distance.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Berlin-based Peter Vahlefeld grew up in Hong Kong and Hamburg, receiving his BFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design, NYC in 1990. He has participated in a variety of solo exhibitions and art fairs, including Art Fair Cologne, Art Karlsruhe (both Germany), Art Bodensee (Austria) and venues such as Neumeister Fine Art Auctioneers (Munich), Sotheby's (Vienna), Chloe Savigny (Paris), Fiona Alison (London), and 46 Parachute Purple (New York). Having two studios, one in Berlin, and one in Munich, he was interviewed and filmed on the ZDF television channel in Berlin (2014). In Munich he is working with the Bavaria Television Production having his paintings staged for television and film. His work can be found in corporate collections throughout Germany as well as in private collections worldwide.
Exhibitions:
2016
»Monet–Manet–Money«, Galerie Döbele, Mannheim, Germany
»Monet–Manet–Money«, Galerie Döbele, Frankfurt, Germany
»Monet–Manet–Money«, Galerie Döbele, Innsbruck, Austria
»Monet–Manet–Money«, Galerie Döbele, Karlsruhe, Germany
»Monet–Manet–Money«, Galerie Döbele, Dresden, Germany
2015
»One Artist Show«, Art Bodensee, Art Fair
»Monet-Manet-Money« Galerie Michael Heufelder, Munich
»Benefit Auction«, Sotheby`s, Vienna
»One Artist Show«, art Karlsruhe (International Fair for Classic Modern and Contemporary Art)
»Staatlich subventionierte außerparlamentarische Opposition vs. Kunstverein«, White & Case, Munich
2014
»Christie`s + Andy Warhol = Everybody Disco«, Earlybird Venture Capital, Munich
»Artist Talk«, Stephanie Senge, Peter Vahlefeld & Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, nurjungekunst, Munich
»Art Bodensee« Art Fair, Galerie Michael Heufelder
»Ist das Silikon in Pamela Andersons Brüsten echt?«, Elizabeth Cooper Gallery, Leipzig
»The Warhol Economy«, White & Case, Munich
»art Karlruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2013
»Salon Populaire«, Hamburg, Galerie Michael Heufelder
»Ist das Silikon in Pamela Andersons Brüsten echt?«, Galerie Michael Heufelder, Munich
»Salon Populaire«, Arena, Berlin
»Contemporary Art Collection«, White & Case, Munich
»art Karlruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2012
»Contemporary Art Auction«, Neumeister, Munich
»New Worxx«, Irmin Beck, Munich (curated by Dr. Stefanie Staby)
»Photography vs. Painting«, White & Case, Munich
»Art Collection Grunwald«, (Galerie Michael Heufelder), Munich
»art Karlruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2011
»Kunstindex Berlin«, Arena, Berlin
»Painting vs. Photography«, White & Case, Munich
»Pictures of Pictures« 46 Parachute Purple, New York
»art Karlruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2010
»J àdore Cannes oder where`s my fuckin` Gucci shoetree« Kultursalon, Vienna
»Pop-up Gallery«, Ella´s, Vienna
»Photography vs. Painting« Honorarkonsulat Ecuador, Munich
(Galerie Michael Heufelder/Dr.Stefanie Staby)
»J àdore Cannes oder where`s my fuckin` Gucci shoetree« Chloe Savigny, Paris
»J àdore Cannes oder where`s my fuckin` Gucci shoetree« Fiona Alison, London
»art Karlruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2009
»El Quitasol Museumshop Prado« Galerie Michael Heufelder, Munich
»I shot Andy Warhol« Schlosspavillon Ismaning, Munich (Galerie Michael Heufelder)
2008
»I shot Andy Warhol« Galerie Brennecke, Berlin
»I shot Andy Warhol« Galerie Winkelmann, Düsseldorf
»art-Karlsruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Brennecke)
2007
»Nur wer den Klatsch der Stadt kennt, findet den Mörder«
Galerie Michael Heufelder, Munich
»Nur wer den Klatsch der Stadt kennt, findet den Mörder«
Galerie Winkelmann, Düsseldorf
»Nur wer den Klatsch der Stadt kennt, findet den Mörder«
Galerie Brennecke, Berlin
»art-Karlsruhe« Art Fair, (Galerie Brennecke)
»Liste Köln« Art Fair (Galerie Brennecke)
(Selected until 2007)
