HERBERT BRANDLOut of the Dark
Exhibition
Showroom Zürich
Zum Vorderen Florhof / Hirschengraben 28
8001 Zürich
21 Sept – 5 Oct 2024
Featured Works
Herbert Brandl
Untitled, 2019
patinated bronze; unique
pair, each 80 x 32 x 52 cm (32 x 13 x 21 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Kommunikation, 2020
bronze, lacquered
52 x 31 x 42 cm (20 x 12 x 16 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Elvis with Profitable, 2016
patinated bronze; unique
58 x 40 x 38 cm (23 x 16 x 15 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Untitled, 2022
acrylic on canvas
220 x 170 cm (86 x 67 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Untitled, 2016
bronze, patinated
85 x 55 x 55 cm (33 x 21 in.)
Herbert Brandl
When the War Is Over, 2016
bronze, patinated; unique
73 x 71 x 48 cm (29 x 28 x 19 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Kindheit, 2019
bronze, patinated; unique
54 x 44 x 26 cm (21 x 17 x 10 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Lioness, 2019
bronze, patinated; unique
52 x 33 x 42 cm (20 x 12 x 16 in.)
Herbert Brandl
African Ancestor, 2024
acrylic on canvas
120 x 90 cm (47 1/4 x 35 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Confident, 2024
acrylic on canvas
90 x 120 cm (35 x 47 1/4 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Ancient Knowledge, 2024
acrylic on canvas
56 x 76 cm (22 x 30 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Gentleness, 2024
acrylic on canvas
56 x 76 cm (22 x 30 in)
Herbert Brandl
I Will Always Love You, 2024
acrylic on canvas
50 x 70 cm (20 x 28 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Treasure, 2024
acrylic on canvas
40 x 30 cm (15 3/4 x 12 in.)
Herbert Brandl
WTF, 2024
acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 cm (12 x 15 3/4 in)
Herbert Brandl
Love, 2024
acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 cm (12 x 15 3/4 in)
Herbert Brandl
Tiki, 2024
acrylic on canvas
34 x 21 cm (13 x 8 in.)
Herbert Brandl
Cats & Rats, 2021
bronze laquered
4 parts, 8,5 x 35 x 10 cm (3 3/8 x 14 x 4 in.)
read inGerman
How do animals communicate with us humans? Can we interpret their expressions correctly and can their emotions be captured and visualised? In the animal depictions created by Herbert Brandl especially for the Showroom Zürich, the artist approaches these questions with a sensitive eye and great empathy. At the centre is the depiction of the cat, which fascinates us with its mysteriousness and obstinacy. The figure of a cat emerges from a dark, undefined background, with only its face and upper body visible. The black and white, greyish, fluffy fur is defined by a few gestural, clearly placed brushstrokes. The animal turns its head slightly off its body axis to fixate us. The expression is determined, a little bold, the ears attentively pricked. It directs its self-confident gaze straight at the viewer. The tiger also makes eye contact, its mighty face filling almost the entire picture space. It faces us head-on, its body disappearing into the black background and only the yellow of its sparkling, seemingly friendly eyes providing a colourful accent. The mouth, although slightly open, is to be read less as a threatening gesture and more as an invitation to communicate. Characteristic traits can also be found in Brandl's other depictions of animals; they seem to have specific characteristics of their own. The artist succeeds in capturing human characteristics by portraying the creatures he depicts and literally meeting them at eye level. Designed as head or bust portraits, they are iconographically reminiscent of modern portraits by painters such as van Dyck, Vermeer or Rembrandt. Their self-portraits and depictions of merchants, dignitaries or married couples appear, as it were, in front of monochrome, dark backgrounds that allow us to concentrate on the essentials, on the character. As viewers, we believe that we can read sensitivities such as shyness and confidence, determination and gentleness or balance and strength in Brandl's tiger and cat faces. But do the animals actually possess these, or do they rather reflect ourselves, in a pictorial reality space that Brandl has reversed? Is it perhaps the animal figures that observe us beyond the picture frame and allow us to become the object of observation? Herbert Brandl's bronze animal sculptures, which are set up in the garden, form an exciting contrast to the paintings. The hyenas, cats of prey, eagles and gorillas are in constant motion, in contrast to the static animal portraits in the paintings. They roar with their mouths wide open or are locked in combat. Wild and martial, they convey a strong physical presence in the room. Depictions of animals have always played a major role in the history of art. Whether as an expression of human representation, as a symbol and metaphor or as proof of the artistry of their creators. They are always a mirror of the changing relationship between animals and humans over time. The animals that Herbert Brandl shows us are not domesticated creatures, but self-confident and autonomous individuals that reveal a respectful attitude and affinity towards them.
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