Figures I

Postcard edition
Edition of 200
Numbered edition
10.5 x 15 cm
Düsseldorf 2014

In Wollgast’s figures, fragments of disembodied limbs and isolated objects appear to be reproductions of well-known sculptures by Constantin Brâncuși and Umberto Boccioni, Bruce Nauman and Paul McCarthy. In fact, he constructs the images as contact prints of handmade negatives made of transparent film, graphite and spray paint. By removing the camera from the photographic process and then hand-colouring certain compositions or areas, Wollgast emphasises the role of the reproduced image in the circulation of otherwise unique art objects. Being at once second-hand copies and one-of-a-kind creations, the works disrupt the aura of uniqueness that often clings to the original artwork. With his postcards, Wollgast goes one step further. By re-adopting the publication and distribution format of the mass media, this tactic of appropriation is confirmed only by the artist’s name on the back of the card.

– Chris Clarke