Eberhard Havekost: U Say Love

The resolution of the object

At first glance, discontinuity characterises the work of Eberhard Havekost. In their sense of realism, some of the latest paintings from 2017-2019 are almost perfect. The kangaroo on the title fixates the viewer; it appears dazzled by the harsh light, possibly from the headlights of a car. Its body is frozen, its posture an anticipation of rigor mortis. Other paintings are abstract, combining dynamic and gestural brushstrokes with the scraping of colour. In other paintings, colours such as bright orange, lemon yellow or scarlet are smeared into one another, suggesting a smoky mist. Then again, a sulphurous green appears almost uniform and therefore a little yellowish, as if it is etching its way through the canvas in an acidic, sticky and biting way. The process of painting becomes chemical when Eberhard Havekost removes layer after layer of colour with turpentine, liquefying it again so that it appears to dissolve. In this way, Eberhard Havekost's paintings go further than reality. They revolve around the dissolution of the object, because his work is about reconstruction, seeing something and reconstructing it. The picture, however, remains flat, is not just imagination, but remains an object, is soft and can thus be charged with different meanings.

Exhibition:
CFA Contemporary Fine Arts Berlin, 26/4 - 1/6/2019