Aluminium, two kinds of synthetic grass, canvas/green pigment, photo print of hair, acrylic glass and neon
Installation approx. 450 x 100 x 12 cm or 100 x 157 x 12 cm
2000
Photo: Rolf Sturm
Spektakulär unspektakulär
Spectacular Unspectacular
[4-5] Which are the spectacular imaginary worlds that are so unspectacular in Dagmar Pachtner´s art? The installation "With Hair" also carries the title "Artificial and grown surfaces at the millennium". The work is to be understood as a depot of surfaces, from material, and how it is produced today. There is artificial grass which conjures up for us a virtual picture of real grass. But there is also grass in it´s natural form which stands for the natural process of growth, "for that which is natural". The contrast between artificial and real grass brings us, when we follow our memories and feelings, to the question: How does man imagine nature? How is it´s treatment affected by his imagination? How is the colour green, which often alone stands for grass, used in the artistic and consumer worlds? Dagmar Pachtner´s method is to take the material from it´s artistic connections to fire such relationships. The surface of the human body, skin and hair, is joined with landscape surfaces. Blue neon light is used here – as already used in many of Dagmar Pachtner´s earlier works – as a further dimension and reminds one of heaven or eternity. How do transitory material like net, fleece, felt and skin look in this blue eternal light? The vision of the every day is alienated and allowes, possibly, a new perception.
Dr Antje Oltmann. Introduction to the exhibition "Spectacular Unspectacular" during the OPEN ART Munich. 2000
Comment: There are two identically built installations, which are illustrated above, one carries the title "With Hair" the other "With Skin". The material of the second not illustrated work are aluminium, fleece, felt, tulle, photo print of skin, acrylic glass and neon.
