New German abstraction

Abstract art now: Germany

Bernd Ribbeck

Ribbeck's small-scale works are deceptive in several ways. Firstly, although they could easily be mistaken for paintings, they are produced using materials generally associated with drawing, such as ballpoint pens, permanent markers and pen and ink (mostly on paper, but also on MDF, wood and other surfaces).

Secondly, although they appear to share the concern with modernism evidenced by many of his contemporaries, Ribbeck's sphere of reference is more esoteric than mainstream, and his style a highly personal one that has evolved logically over several years.

Inspired by artists for whom a spiritual quest was intrinsic to their work, Ribbeck's referents include figures such as Hilma af Klint, Emma Kunz, or the Crystal Chain architects, whose plans were largely unrealised, recorded simply as drawings or poetic visions.