Verletztes Feld

Günther Uecker’s exhibition, Verletztes Feld (Wounded Field), at Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais features the artist’s 1981 painting of the same name, notable for its use of nails as a medium and the earliest documented instance of the artist cleaving a work with an axe. The exhibition also includes a series of 22 painted photographs, a collaboration between photographer Rolf Schröter and Uecker, which document the creation of the titular painting.

The painting’s surface is covered in nails, creating shifting shadows that evoke the passage of time. Uecker’s technique, which involves driving nails into a canvas painted with his bare hands, aims to make time visible and explore variability and movement, drawing from his involvement with the ZERO group. The axe gesture, described as a wound that is pacified with white paint, symbolizes destruction and creation, reflecting broader themes of human endangerment and the interconnectedness of the world.