Joel-Peter Witkin
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
September 18th – November 14th 2015
„The World Is Not Enough“ is the title of the presentation of works by the American photographer Joel-Peter Witkin (*1939, Brooklyn, New York) in the Berlin based galerie hiltawsky starting September 18th 2015. This exhibition is the first solo show of the artist since 2002 (Compassionate Beauty, Stadtmuseum, Jena) in Germany and the first in Berlin altogether. This little workshow combines 28 photographs starting 1980 until 2012, also showing the legendary “The Kiss” from 1982. The oevre of Joel-Peter Witkins takes a solitary position in photography. It is fascinating and polarising, many people are shocked and irritated. Witkins central topic is morality. Drawing from a rich body of sources - literature, myth, and Renaissance and Baroque painting - Witkin creates elaborate photographic tableaux that address the morbid, the perverse, the erotic, and the religious. The are references to the works of Courbet, Seurat, Caravaggio, Dali and Max Ernst and others.
Joel-Peter Witkin studied at the Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture (NYC) and received the Bachelor of Art (1974). Studies at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (Master of Fine Art, 1986) followed.
His work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, including solo shows at Brooklyn Museum (New York); Interkamera (Prag); Picture Photo Space (Osaka/Japan); Museum of Modern Art (Haifa/Israel); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (USA) and in a big retrospective at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1995/New York/USA).
His works are many international collections as the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM.; Center for Creative Photography - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Photography; Columbia College Chicago, Chicago; Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, San Fransisco; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; San Francisco Museum of Art, San Fransisco; Paul Getty Museum, Kalifornien; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Straßburg; National Funds for Contemporary Art, Paris; European House of Photography, Paris; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; Museo d'arte contemporanea Castello di Rivoli, Turin; Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, Cuenca; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Joel-Peter Witkin lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
This exhibition is in collaboration with galerie baudoin lebon, Paris.
Opening reception
September 17th 2015, 7 pm
The laudatio is held by Elke Tesch.
The artist will be present.
„The World Is Not Enough“ is the title of the presentation of works by the American photographer Joel-Peter Witkin (*1939, Brooklyn, New York) in the Berlin based galerie hiltawsky starting September 18th 2015. This exhibition is the first solo show of the artist since 2002 (Compassionate Beauty, Stadtmuseum, Jena) in Germany and the first in Berlin altogether. This little workshow combines 28 photographs starting 1980 until 2012, also showing the legendary “The Kiss” from 1982. The oevre of Joel-Peter Witkins takes a solitary position in photography. It is fascinating and polarising, many people are shocked and irritated. Witkins central topic is morality. Drawing from a rich body of sources - literature, myth, and Renaissance and Baroque painting - Witkin creates elaborate photographic tableaux that address the morbid, the perverse, the erotic, and the religious. The are references to the works of Courbet, Seurat, Caravaggio, Dali and Max Ernst and others.
Joel-Peter Witkin studied at the Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture (NYC) and received the Bachelor of Art (1974). Studies at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (Master of Fine Art, 1986) followed.
His work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, including solo shows at Brooklyn Museum (New York); Interkamera (Prag); Picture Photo Space (Osaka/Japan); Museum of Modern Art (Haifa/Israel); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (USA) and in a big retrospective at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (1995/New York/USA).
His works are many international collections as the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM.; Center for Creative Photography - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Photography; Columbia College Chicago, Chicago; Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, San Fransisco; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; San Francisco Museum of Art, San Fransisco; Paul Getty Museum, Kalifornien; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Straßburg; National Funds for Contemporary Art, Paris; European House of Photography, Paris; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; Museo d'arte contemporanea Castello di Rivoli, Turin; Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, Cuenca; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Joel-Peter Witkin lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
This exhibition is in collaboration with galerie baudoin lebon, Paris.
Opening reception
September 17th 2015, 7 pm
The laudatio is held by Elke Tesch.
The artist will be present.
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Opening reception
September 17th 2015, 7 pm
The laudatio is held by Elke Tesch.
The artist will be present.
Special event
September 18th 2015, 7 pm
Slideshow (appr. 1 hour) by Joel-Peter Witkin on his work
• Impressions from the opening