Lot Essay
Thomas Bayrle was trained as a weaver (1956-1958) and studied at the Werkkunstschule, Offenbach (1958-1961). He works with drawings, collages, film, and computer graphics. Since 1975 he has taught at the Städelschule in Frankfurt a. Main. Bayrle's work is characterised by minute repetitions of figures mimeticised within larger figures, so that the visual patterning makes it impossible to clearly discern the figures in the resulting dizzying kinetic field. He will be participating at the 53rd Venice Biennial in 2009. Solo exhibitions include We are not in Kansas anymore, MACBA Barcelona (2009); Thomas Bayrle, Ann Lislegaard, and Ultra-red, Raven Row, London (2009); Anticipation - Version 4, MAMCO, Geneva (2009), Thomas Bayrle, Looping Museum Ludwig, Cologne (2008); and Thomas Bayrle: A Mustache is a Man's Best Friend, Galerie Francesca Pia, Zürich (2008). Recent group shows include Art of Two Germanys/Cold War Cultures, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles (2009); Rasterfahndung Carlos, Sydney Biennial, Sydney (2008); Experiment Marathon Reykjavik (Reykjavik Arts Festival 2008), Reykjavik (2008) and Whatever happened to Sex in Scandinavia? OCA, Oslo (2008).