The Artistic Practice of Peer Gessing

Peer Gessing is a German painter, artist, and teacher. His diverse body of work encompasses painting, objects, installations, and performances. A central element of his creative process is the technique of overpainting, a practice he has explored since 1986 when he began working with book overpaintings. This method serves as an "aesthetic intervention" where he layers new content over existing substrates, such as magazines, books, advertisements, or three-dimensional objects like televisions, furniture, and motor blocks. In these works, a portion of the original painted surface remains visible, creating a state between destruction and preservation.

His subject matter often focuses on the motif of the face, which appears in his works either individually or in series. These faces are constructed with bold, street art-style brushstrokes, emphasizing outlines, eyes, noses, and mouths while leaving ears and eyebrows only suggested. Through the serial repetition of these heads, Gessing seeks to create a sense of direct liveliness and a rhythmic quality in his imagery.

Themes and Professional Life

Gessing’s work also explores the concept of "defunctionalism," a process where he intervenes with objects—particularly automobiles—to temporarily strip them of their function. By doing so, he transforms these machines into hybrid entities between machine and human. His artistic interests extend to the re-working of both historical masterpieces and the works of contemporary colleagues.

Born in Zehlendorf, Germany, Gessing studied at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildende Künste Stuttgart. His professional journey has included roles in Biberach an der Riß, Nord-Baden, and The Hague. Since 2010, he has lived and worked in Baden-Baden, where he serves as a teacher of fine arts at the Richard-Wagner-Gymnasium.

Въпроси и отговори

Къде мога да видя творбите на Peer Gessing в хронологичен ред?

Творбите на Peer Gessing могат да бъдат разгледани в хронологичен ред на страницата Хронология на произведенията на художника.

Как се развива изкуството на Peer Gessing с течение на времето?

Хронологичен преглед на творчеството на Peer Gessing може да бъде открит на страницата Хронология, където произведенията са подредени по ред на създаване им, разделени на периоди.

Мога ли да сортирам творбите на Peer Gessing по цвят?

Работите на Peer Gessing могат да бъдат разгледани по цвят на страницата Спектър по цвят на художника.

Колко произведения на Peer Gessing са налични за разглеждане?

Можете да разгледате 1 произведения творби на Peer Gessing на страницата Всички произведения на изкуството.

Quick quiz

За всеки въпрос има само един верен отговор.

Въпрос 1:
In which German city was Peer Gessing born?
Въпрос 2:
What is a central element of Peer Gessing's artistic work?
Въпрос 3:
Where has Peer Gessing lived and worked since 2010?
Въпрос 4:
Which of these is a recurring motif in his work, often depicted with broad, street-art-style brushstrokes?
Въпрос 5:
At which institution did Peer Gessing study from 1988 to 1993?