Johannes Müller-Franken “Figurative Ideation”

Louis K. Meisel Gallery

[Image: Johannes Müller-Franken "Riva Caduti"]

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Louis K. Meisel Gallery presents Figurative Ideation, an exhibition of Johannes Müller-Franken’s recent paintings. An artist with an exacting mind, Müller-Franken is a Photorealist painter, who is focused primarily on contemporary figurative compositions. His meticulous paintings depict fictional scenes that explore interactions between his subjects in dreamlike circumstances.

The imagery in Müller-Franken’s paintings is precisely engineered and composed. He has stated, “[t]he situations I paint are imaginary orchestrations. Their basis is not a personal single glimpse, they represent a sum of disparate sensual experiences which then appear in a new context.” Thus, models, costumes, and props are carefully chosen and arranged in preplanned settings; it is from photographs of these moments that Müller-Franken is able to translate his personal vision to the canvas, all of which is painted by hand.

The results are compositionally and aesthetically striking, providing a voyeuristic experience for his audience. Müller-Franken’s depictions of interactions capture ephemeral moments that are punctuated by the use of cinematic lighting. Often portraying illusory situations at twilight, Müller-Franken heightens the drama of his compositions by creating transitional moments that merely allude to what has or what will transpire. His work invites his audience to ruminate on the scenario at hand, leaving many questions unanswered.