Martin Werthmann: Connected Bubbles

Wilding Cran Gallery’s Unit B is pleased to present the first solo exhibition in the United States of works by Berlin-based artist Martin Werthmann.

On the surface, Werthmann’s works are an aesthetically engaging series of patterns and textures, yet with more investigation the images under the surface reveal a tension and subtle melancholy. The motifs and patterns in his prints are created from found images of tragic events such as car accidents and car bomb explosions juxtaposed with mundane elements like picturesque landscapes and water surfaces. Another common photographic subject used is foam, which Werthmann sees as a series of connected bubbles and a metaphor for society. Aside from the pure aesthetic interest, he is drawn to photos of catastrophic events because they represent moments that break daily routines and disrupt society.

Werthmann carves patterns and motifs from sections of his found images into wood block panels and prints onto paper in multiple layers that form the unique collage-like final pieces. His prints often exceed 6 x 10 feet – dimensions considered already unusually large for photographs and even more unique for woodblock prints. He approaches the process more as an installations rather than a painting—boards get screwed to the floor, paper gets folded over the inked elements repeatedly creating many layers, most of the works are the result of 10 or more layers.