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RED WORKS May 25 - June 30, 2000 Bezirkszentrum
Neubau |
    
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Red is the color of both love and war, conveying warmth as well as danger. The terms "reds" or "redskins" have been misused in both the political and ethnological sense. Many people also associate the color red with liveliness and beauty. The red paintings portray the culture of the inhabitants of the Amazon region. The manner in which they apply this color in their immediate environment is the underlying topic of the present artwork. The only immediate projection surface available to the rainforest inhabitants is their own body and, in particular, their faces. Fruits are opened to yield a red, powdery pigment, other plants secrete juices that enable the application of blue tattoos that require two weeks to fade. The feathers of parrots, toucans and aras are glued together with tree resin or pasted onto faces and limbs. This jewelry serves to enhance beauty, but also plays a role in hunting and combat. |