The Artist

Neither artificial sensationalism nor faked emotions are to be found in Ute Meyer’s work. Proficient observations and precise visual capturing of experiences let her create paintings through which impressions and emotions are not conveyed by mere distortion of object or color. Accurate reproduction by use of fields of color, deliberate perspective and matured painting techniques let the beholder relive the emotions of a moment or a period of time with rich accuracy.  The artist is capable of grasping, compiling and then transporting these moods through her work. However, essential for this to happen successfully is that Ute Meyer is experiencing these situations fully. Without a complete and aware living of a given moment the true reflection of the mood must remain fruitless. Her paintings and works relating to the Baltic coasts and the Shetland Islands thus frequently affirm the success of this process. Often the paintings are created on the spot, which is mostly at the coast or in the garden. Animal- and macro-interpretations are painted by use of own photographs in the studio and are meticulously completed in continuous procedures. Content wise Ute Meyer’s work almost feels like a singularity compared to other artists, especially current ones. In her paintings conflict is never the modus operandi. As art and artists oftentimes wear themselves out to depict struggles, suffering or inequality Ute Meyer is opting for another path. Representation of conflict is a rarity in her work, but when it surfaces it takes the form of coping and proposed healing. For many years I had the opinion that making art had to tear open, to confront if not as a presented topic then at least as the driving force. I changed my mind more and more over the years and today I am appreciating the path of Ute Meyer considering it to be an equal and wise alternative. She conveys harmony, offers solutions without asking for the problem. She propagates the beauty of nature and does not fall for any attempts to alienate or charge nature with any additional superficial agenda. The essence of her work is not the human being. The blank duality is not her concern, no ideology is clouding her canvas and no abstract battles try to draw our attention. What we can find within Ute Meyer’s path are shared moments of life. Energies fused onto canvas as well as paper, wood and other matter sharing with us the nourishment of nature and harmony, gently gathered and curated akin to the harvest of a beekeeper. Thobe Appel-Sünder, February  2018