Jakob Gasteiger Untitled 2013

Jakob Gasteiger (*Salzburg 1953) developed his minimalist pictorial concept in the early 1980s and has consistently pursued it ever since. In his two studios in Vienna and Lower Austria he is artistically active both as a painter and a sculptor.
In his paintings, Gasteiger uses a comb spatula to shape the color, be it thicker oil paint or smoother acrylic paint. The cardboard comb takes the place of the painter’s brush. Of great importance is the rhythmic implementation of the meticulously planned relief structures.
Random also matters in this process, as clearly visible in the vertical drawing of this work. Not only the direction of the structure determines the result, but also unplanned lateral thickenings or paint crumblings on the relief ridge, which further emphasize the sculptural character of the painting.
This small painting is executed in black oil color. Gasteiger has used this technique less frequently in recent years, because the drying process, especially with such a thickly applied layer, takes much longer than with works in acrylic.
For many years, Gasteiger produced mainly monochrome paintings, whose surface was enlivened by the relief motifs and the multi-layered effect of light and color. Only in recent years has the artist broadened the color spectrum, as could be impressively seen in the neon-colored works at Albertina-exhibition.
His firm place in Austrian contemporary Fine Art is documented by solo exhibitions in major museums, such as the Salzburg Museum (2016) or most recently the Albertina, Vienna (2021).