Ralf Ziervogel: Immobilie

The great disaster

A work of some significance is now being announced: Ralf Ziervogel, born in Clausthal-Zellerfeld in 1975, a master student of Lothar Baumgarten in Berlin, was awarded various scholarships (2003 and 2005 in New York) as well as the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Scholarship in 2006. He has been exhibiting regularly in galleries since 2001 and has taken part in various international group exhibitions. He is already represented with works in the collections of the MoMA, the Deste Foundation Dakis Joannou in Athens, the Olbricht Collection in Essen and the Falckenberg Collection in Hamburg-Harburg. His most spectacular graphic work, entitled "Real Estate" from 2004, is now also the basis for the xerographs in this unusual book, which were taken directly from the 6.65 x 3.50 metre original drawing in black ink and then xerographed according to the artist's instructions. On closer inspection, the extent of the infernal torment that pervades these depictions is immediately apparent. Once the viewer has recovered from the initial shock, his gaze quickly wanders through the pages over which this endless series extends, sheet by sheet. In these technically extraordinary and brilliant drawings, however, we are not dealing with a grand narrative, but with the depiction of an infinite series that takes up the theme of Eros and Thanatos, but also suggests the subjects and designs of various role models, be they Aubrey Beardsley or Hieronymus Bosch, Egon Schiele or Robert Crumb. Ralf Ziervogel picks them up both visually and technically in order to have them all appear in his comic and nonsensical cosmos, plucking limbs, copulating or destroying the record player arm. His depictions draw the eye and the viewer always tries in vain to find the resolution to this great disaster, this comedie humaine.