Untitled / Selection of works on paper
Julius Bockelt
"When I draw lines, I organise my thoughts. I understand how the world works, how the weather develops, how images shape the world. And then sometimes you have to let go of the line, and when you look at it again, it proceeds." (Julius Bockelt in an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Edition 46, Atelier Goldstein, 2022)
“(...) a process is at work here, representing nothing less than a world view. Bockelt’s search for metaphysical meaning is manifested in a scientific perfection that abolishes antagonisms. Bockelt is skilled at combining energies.” - Christiane Cuticchio (founder and director of the Atelier Goldstein in Frankfurt until 2020)
Fascinated by (meta)physical and technical phenomena on the one hand; and observations of nature on the other hand, the work of Julius Bockelt goes in search of the formal and sensual connection between all things that surround him and that he creates.
His drawings, created with a fine-tipped ink pen on paper, are based on visual and auditory phenomena such as cloud studies and circuit bending. Drawn freehand, row by row, Bockelt manipulates factors such as angle, size and number of overlaps to allow for different effects to appear: shimmering, moiré effects or optical illusions. ‘In his work of artistic research, Bockelt tracks his sound and visual concepts, as if he wanted to check his knowledge and predictions again and again. Technical and gestural precision is a decisive factor in the execution of the drawing. For it is the accuracy of the line that provides Bockelt with the certainty he seeks. For the viewer, these complex small-scale structures are a visual challenge. Looking at these (...) compositions, one inevitably goes in search of what lies beyond the pure drawing: a beginning, an order and an end - in other words, a deeper narrative.’ - Sven Fritz
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 22 x 24,2 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 16,8 x 16,8 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 40 x 27 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 31,5 x 24 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 14,7 x 11 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 12,9 x 13,2 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 21 x 14,8 cm
2019 - Untitled - Ink on paper - 24 x 18 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Christian Berst Gallery
Julius Bockelt
°1986, Frankfurt am Main, Duitsland
Julius Bockelt is fascinated by the limits of perception. Sounds, vibrations, waves and interferences are rendered visible in his work that manifests itself in drawing, sculpture, sound composition and performance. Bringing together observation and poetry, network structures emerge and create striking optical illusions. The works of Bockelt have been included in the collections of the Musée national d’art moderne (Centre Pompidou), Hannah Rieger (Austria), The Museum of Everything (England), Ulrike Crespo (Germany) and the abcd/bruno decharme collection (Paris), and exhibited at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Tokyo (JP), Documenta 15 in Kassel (DE), Atelier Goldstein in Frankfurt (DE), Museum Folkwang in Essen (DE), Musée Visionnaire in Zurich (CH) and Frith Street Gallery in London (UK), among others.
Julius Bockelt is a member of the Goldstein workshop and represented by Christian Berst. He lives and works in Frankfurt am Mein.
Portrait © atelier goldstein, Frankfurt am Main