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Lot Essay
Entangled lines and melting musical notes create a labyrinth of intricate forms in Albert Oehlen’s Conduction 3. The present work serves as a quintessential example of Albert Oehlen’s distinct style of abstraction and the distinct visual language from this series of works. An ode to his love for jazz music, the series is named after American jazz composer Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris, who produced improvised compositions entitled Conduction. Celebrated for his idiosyncratic compositions and emotive linework, Oehlen creates immense visual depth that also suggest senses of sight and sound. Dancing, energetic lines twist to-and-fro, embodying the harmony of Jazz melodies. This fusion of motion, sound and abstraction push the composition to new limits, making Conduction 3 one of Oehlen’s most dynamic and experiential works.
During his studies at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, Germany, Oehlen experimented with deconstructing typical artistic practices and challenging the norms of art itself—an interest he continues to expand upon within his oeuvre. This persisting interest is illustrated in his innovative and unique approach to painting in Conduction 3. A distinctive feature of the Conduction series is Oehlen's departure from his earlier computer paintings, rather inspired by the structured improvisations of renowned musican and composer Lawrence "Butch" Morris. In place of the artist's earlier, jagged computer iconographies—though still building upon those works' layered, graphic nature—here he employs the fluidity of his hand and the compositional structures of his smaller drawing collages to produce Conduction 3.
While simplified to a black-and-white palette, Oehlen achieves the visual depth and dynamism of his earlier, more colorful works through conjoining black lines and blending gradations that imbue abstracted forms with a frenzied energy akin to jazz music. Oehlen’s relationship to his work is best understood through this love for free jazz and his mission to challenge typical approaches to painting. Just like a musical composition, Oehlen’s work has no true beginning or end, and serves as a metaphor for improvisation and beauty within interpretation. This creative ethos is beautifully encapsulated in Conduction 3, as he takes on the role of a free Jazz conductor, producing an harmonious display of movement and form for viewers to experience.
During his studies at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, Germany, Oehlen experimented with deconstructing typical artistic practices and challenging the norms of art itself—an interest he continues to expand upon within his oeuvre. This persisting interest is illustrated in his innovative and unique approach to painting in Conduction 3. A distinctive feature of the Conduction series is Oehlen's departure from his earlier computer paintings, rather inspired by the structured improvisations of renowned musican and composer Lawrence "Butch" Morris. In place of the artist's earlier, jagged computer iconographies—though still building upon those works' layered, graphic nature—here he employs the fluidity of his hand and the compositional structures of his smaller drawing collages to produce Conduction 3.
While simplified to a black-and-white palette, Oehlen achieves the visual depth and dynamism of his earlier, more colorful works through conjoining black lines and blending gradations that imbue abstracted forms with a frenzied energy akin to jazz music. Oehlen’s relationship to his work is best understood through this love for free jazz and his mission to challenge typical approaches to painting. Just like a musical composition, Oehlen’s work has no true beginning or end, and serves as a metaphor for improvisation and beauty within interpretation. This creative ethos is beautifully encapsulated in Conduction 3, as he takes on the role of a free Jazz conductor, producing an harmonious display of movement and form for viewers to experience.