COPENHAGEN.- Symønster, Gert & Uwe Tobias' second solo exhibition at NILS STÆRK, features 16 new multi-dimensional collages on canvas that explore the intersections of painting, drawing, and collage, while rooted in the artists' long-standing mastery of the woodcut technique. The exhibition title – translating to "sewing pattern" – references the precise templates used in fabric construction, drawing an analogy to the meticulous compositions on display. With this new body of work, the Tobias brothers push the boundaries of their practice by balancing careful construction with dynamic reconfigurations, inviting viewers to navigate the space between order and chaos.
Gert & Uwe Tobias begin their collages with a painterly foundation of woodcut color on canvas, upon which additional elements are built. First, the painted canvas is printed using their self-developed woodcut technique, where poplar plywood pieces are cut, painted, transferred, and layered in a geometric grid. Technically precise drawings are then applied with pencil and colored pencil, depicting outlines of shapes traced from wooden stencils taken directly from the artists' extensive woodcut archive. After a further layer of woodcut printing, fragments of canvas and wood, also sourced from the archive, are painted, accentuated with drawings, and adhered to the canvas surface. While preserving the essence of collage, the incorporation of wooden elements creates a distinct three-dimensionality and enhances the compositions with a relief-like quality.
In the works on display, the reduced geometric shapes such as circles and arabesques from the artists' repertoire of woodcut stencils are reused and rearranged in unpredictable ways, creating a dynamic interplay between rigor and chance. Simultaneously, the cutting, layering, and overprinting of elements – along with the reuse of archival materials and fragments – evokes the structure and function of sewing patterns, where sections are cut, arranged, and repurposed to form new compositions.
In Symønster, Gert & Uwe Tobias continue their exploration of traditional techniques through a twenty-first-century lens, engaging in an ongoing dialogue with art history. This new body of work draws on the traditions of collage and abstraction, resonating with the techniques of pioneers like Kurt Schwitters and Sophie Taeuber-Arp, as well as the geometric precision of Constructivism. These references form the foundation for the recurring shapes and detailed layering that define the pieces on view, reflecting the avant-garde's exploration of structure and material.
At the same time, the artists infuse these modernist traditions with personal and cultural references, deeply embedded in their distinctive visual language. By incorporating wooden stencils and form fragments from their earlier woodcuts – works that primarily depict folkloric motifs, symbols, and patterns tied to their Transylvanian heritage – they draw upon their cultural identity while operating within the field of abstraction.
Weaving these elements together, Gert and Uwe Tobias create complex, multi-layered narratives. While their approach to form, repetition, and chance is grounded in the avant-garde and abstraction, they maintain a distinct cultural identity and a contemporary sensibility.
In parallel with Symønster, Gert & Uwe Tobias will present a solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Tübingen, opening on November 8. Their works have been exhibited in numerous museums worldwide, including solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Kunsthalle Recklinghausen; Sprengel Museum, Hanover; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; Whitechapel Gallery, London; Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia; Kunstmuseum Bonn; and the UCLA Hammer Museum of Art, Los Angeles.
