Friedrich Kunath : I Need Solitude, But I Also Need You

“I Need Solitude, But I Also Need You”, Friedrich Kunath’s first solo exhibition in Tel Aviv, takes the viewer on a journey between the artist’s inspirations and biography. The four exhibited artworks feature a semi-fantastical landscape, oscillating between reality and fiction, that seems to belong in many places and nowhere simultaneously.

Twilight hues dominate these paintings, rendering a nostalgic and melancholic feel. A lonesome figure appears in all – walking, wandering, contemplating. The figure’s solitude seems both intentional and undesired, perhaps referring to the dissonance expressed in the exhibition’s title.

The artist’s biographical journey is implied in the works, as the German-born, LA-based artist juxtaposes German romanticism and references to the Sublime with pop culture characters. This unusual combination results in playful yet contemplative paintings that leave the viewer overwhelmed with an array of contrasting emotions. A closer look at the artworks reveals Kunath’s unique use of his medium, as he transforms the two-dimensional painting into a three-dimensional work through poetic lyrics scratched into the wet paint.

While the first room of the exhibition displays three medium-sized works, the second room includes one work only – “Looking Back, I Should’ve Been Home More” – a six-meter-long triptych exhibited in Tel Aviv for the first time. The scale of this piece invites the viewer for a closer inspection and introspection along the convoluted lines, paths, and details embedded in it, encouraging a visual “stroll” in the landscape that evolves before our eyes.

Photos: Elad Sarig