Albert Oehlen - Meditation über Bürokratische Tendenzen

Albert Oehlen’s Meditation über Bürokratische Tendenzen (2020) exemplifies the artist’s playful deconstruction of form and meaning. The lithograph presents an energetic tangle of lines that oscillate between gesture and structure, evoking a push and pull between spontaneity and control. With its dynamic scribbles and interruptions, the artwork reflects Oehlen’s ongoing exploration of abstraction as a site of both resistance and reinvention. Issued in a limited edition of 100, each print is hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist.

Albert Oehlen, born in 1954, is a German contemporary artist known for his innovative and provocative approach to painting. Throughout his career, Oehlen has continually pushed the boundaries of traditional painting, exploring the possibilities of abstraction, figuration, and the intersections between different artistic styles and techniques. Albert Oehlen’s early artworks often challenged the conventional notions of beauty and aesthetics. Rejecting the polished finish of traditional painting, the painter embraced a raw and unrefined aesthetic, incorporating bold brushstrokes, smears, and gestural marks. This approach created a sense of dynamic energy and spontaneity in his paintings, reflecting his interest in the process of creation and the inherent imperfections of the artistic act. One of the defining characteristics of Oehlen’s practice is his playful and experimental approach to combining various artistic styles and techniques. He freely incorporates elements of abstraction, figuration, collage, and computer-generated imagery, creating visually striking compositions that defy categorization. This unique blending of styles allows Albert Oehlen to explore the tension between representation and abstraction, as well as challenge traditional hierarchies within the art world. Oehlen’s engagement with technology is another notable aspect of his artwork. He incorporates digital tools and computer-generated images into his paintings and fine art prints, merging traditional and contemporary modes of artistic production. This fusion of analog and digital aesthetics reflects his interest in the evolving relationship between technology and art, and the ways in which digital imagery can be recontextualized and reinterpreted within the realm of painting. Albert Oehlen’s artwork has been featured in numerous international solo exhibitions at prestigious museums, including the Serpentine Gallery in London, Palazzo Grassi in Venice, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the New Museum in New York and Kunsthalle Zürich, mumok in Vienna, and the Whitechapel Gallery in London, among others.