Roter Keil 7

Johann Feilacher’s large-format sculptures can be seen in interior and public open spaces around the world, and are characterized by their distinctive surface designs. In his works, the Austrian sculptor mainly employs dead wood already presenting signs of organic decay through time. Feilacher follows the natural forms of the wood, amplifying notches and knots, or deliberately sets up contrasts by creating combinations of different materials, by patinating the wood or laying on burn marks. His “Roter Keil” (Red Wedge), shown in the Bad Homburg Kurpark in “Blickachsen 11”, impresses with its glowing colourfulness and its monumental size, which is further intensified by its pointed shape and massive, barely worked surface. This work is typical of Feilacher’s sculptural creation: on the one hand he is mindful of the fundamental structure of the tree, the immense size of the poplar trunk. On the other, the bright paintwork stands opposed to its original, grown form. This contrast of visible trunk and striking colour underlines the specific peculiarities of nature and art respectively, which in “Roter Keil” are condensed into a harmonious interplay.