This is the story of a limited edition without an original. It´s a kind of magic. The magic of the art drop of Christoph Niemann´s “Schlachtensee” by Handsiebdruckerei Berlin. Here is the full narrative of the emergence of a print edition on Hahnemühle 1584 paper: The four colour screenpint edition of 55 (+5 AP) in 60 x 80 cm is signed and numbered and will be released at renowed Villa Grisebach, Berlin. The new edition will be shown there in the context of Impressionist paintings from the upcoming auctions highlighting the genesis of the work and the significance of Berlin art history for contemporary artists.
No original for a limited edition?
“In fact, there is no original; the artist drew the individual colour separations directly onto the screens on site, which were then used for printing” reports Stefan Guzy from Handsiebdruckerei Berlin and emphasis the unique character of this printmaking edition. For his new screenprint, Niemann has taken inspiration from the Berlin Impressionists and an iconic Berlin spot, the Schlachtensee in Zehlendorf. He encountered his early 20th century painter colleagues on a cold, sunny day in January on the banks of the Schlachtensee, where he painted directly onto the screens used to print the different colours of the new work.
For many years a quintessential New Yorker, artist Christoph Niemann moved to Berlin in the mid 2000s with his family to settle here. He fell in love with the artistic freedom of the city which suited his sensibilities. Niemann is known for his humorous and poetic drawings, in which he captures the moods of everyday life on paper, often with just a few strokes.
Painting like an impressionist – already on screens for printmaking
Constantly working to reinvent how he sees the world, we find Niemann looking at his subject through Impressionist eyes. Like taking on a challenge, we find him taking on an Impressionist persona, right to the plein-air working method on site. But of course this is far from a historic exercise and all part of the concept the outcome of which is very much part of Niemann’s own practise, in which the mental abstraction necessary to literally build up the several layers which make up the colours in the screenprinting technique are already factored into the method. Distilling his observances of real life into abstraction, Niemann forms an immediate bond with the viewer, as he shares his subjective version of the familiar view in an instantly recognisable image of the lake. The wintry sun is translated into brilliant tones of pink and orange against the dark blue outlines of trees, creating an image which simultaneously conveys optimism alongside a sweet sense of nostalgia. In the outcome, Schlachtensee is as much a conceptual artwork as a homage to many Berliners’ favourite lake. An idea and a geographical place. An exploration into art history as well as a contemporary artwork.
Prefect paper for screenprints: Hahnemühle 1584
The artist Christoph Niemann and his printmaker from Handsiebdruckerei have been selected Hahnemühle 1584 paper – ideal for woodcut and silkscreen, offset and uncoated/treated digital printing processes. A 100% cotton rag – unsized – 300 gsm paper which symbolises our company’s tradition to produce classic artist papers in perfection. The artist paper, made of pure cotton is unsized and – consequently – extremely absorbent for printmaking in multi-layer applications or colours. The satin-finish makes for a particularly smooth surface. With a weight of 300gsm, Hahnemühle 1584 is firm and hard-wearing while the cotton fibres provide flexibility at the same time. Four deckle edges and a watermark complete this high quality paper. Without optical brighteners, acid-free, unsized and alkaline reserved Hahnemühle 1584 meets the highest ISO 9706 longevity standards for works of art and is vegan.
