7 Anrufungen 25

The Austrian artist Karl Prantl, whose four-part work “Meditationssteine” (Meditation Stones) was exhibited in the very second “Blickachsen”, ranks as a pioneer in the field of abstract sculpture. He always created his large-format stone sculptures without the use of sketches or models. His refusal of exact blueprints may well be due to his belief that his art should be in harmony with its stone material – with all its physical as well as spiritual properties. Thus for Prantl, the original shape, colour, texture and surface structure of a piece of stone serve as the inspiration and starting point for his artistic work. “Blickachsen 11” is showing four of his works, in Bad Homburg and Kronberg. The black Canadian granite, from which both the works in the Bad Homburg Kurpark, “7 Anrufungen” (“7 Invocations”) and “Anrufungen”, are made, continues, even after its reworking by the artist, to bear witness to its original weight, density and solidness. Despite their monumentality, both works exude a feeling of peace and constancy, rather than oppressive massiveness. In addition, their soft, smooth surfaces, with their circular cavities, lend the works a highly appealing tactile quality.