Reyle Anselm

Molded by the neon-lit punk scene of 1980s Berlin, Anselm Reyle draws inspiration from his immediate surroundings — functionalist architecture of the ever-changing post-war Germany, flea-market found objects, shop-window mannequin glitz — all of which reflect the rapid rise of global capitalism and its cast-off material culture. Though his artwork has been publicly criticized as being 'superficially seductive' or 'uber-kitsch', this is the very intention behind his art: Reyle confesses, ‘I’m interested in riding the border of tastelessness‘. This statement hints at Reyle’s interest in the gap between a decorative object and an artistic artifact, or more simply, the difference between art and product. This relationship is exemplified by Reyle's recent collaboration with the French luxury fashion house, Dior. Reyle's affiliation with today's fashion brands contrasts with his recurrent repudiation of modish, contemporary painting, which he often dismisses as figurative pseudo-Expressionism. Nevertheless, his admiration of painter-photographer Sigmar Polke and visual artist Gerhald Richter is consistent with his desire to explore the role of modernism in lifting artifacts from recent art history. Reyle has exhibited in the finest international galleries, including the prestigious Gagosian Gallery.