A GERMAN PRIMER

Heike Ruschmeyer’s confrontation of text and language is seldom noticed in the art world. Her work with text and language has been publicly exhibited even more seldom. In terms of critical reviews of the artist’s work – such as the catalogue to Ruschmeyer’s legendary exhibit “Extreme Times” in the Staatlichen Kunsthalle Berlin in 1993 – this aspect of the painter’s work is still unfortunately largely ignored.

Ruschmeyer has relied on her literary interests for inspiration several times, such as when she has used old literary and poetic volumes as the basis of her work. With these graphic works, the artist deletes selected words on the printed pages using heavy black bars of paint. The result with the remaining, unexpunged text is mysterious – and often unsettling – but what comes forth is also always something attractive to behold. Furthermore, a new poetic text is created, a text which may be appreciated in its own right or which may be considered in a dialogue with the original, complete printed text.

We were delighted that the Berlin actor Hans Brückner agreed to hold a reading of Heike Ruschmeyer’s German Reader in our gallery showrooms. Through his work in theater, TV and film (Ein Fall für Zwei, The Fallen und Tatort) Hans Brückner has gained a growing, loyal audience in the dramatic world. With his gifted acting and his baritone voice, Brückner offers a unique new dimension to Ruschmeyer’s German Reader. This special event was held in conjunction with our Summer Festival of Painting 2005. The reading played a particularly important role in the development of our gallery: It marked the second time that Hans Brückner took part in our special events (rf. “Alphabet Tanz”) and the first time that Heike Ruschmeyerer’s literary work was read publicly.