Gerhard Kubassas series growingbody has gained him fame even beyond the country’s borders. The basic idea behind it can be found in all of his works: To offer the viewer a second, initially hidden perspective – and thus the opportunity to complete the artwork himself.
Gerhard Kubassa was born in Austria and spent his childhood in the Fischbach Alps at 670 meters above sea level near Semmering, a mountain pass between Styria and Lower Austria. Nature in all its strength and beauty shaped his early years and developed his artistic and technical interest. Until today, those young years are the source and drive for his art – the years in the forests of the so-called “Waldheimat”, which already inspired Peter Rosegger.
His way into art
After completing his studies in interior architecture, Gerhard Kubassa began to bring rooms with natural elements to life for customers. But during a long trip through the US, he immersed himself in the airbrush scene in Las Vegas and started his artistic work. After first exhibitions in Austria’s largest cities, Kubassa began developing the style that was to point the way for his existence as an artist around the year 1999: The idea of growingbody was created.
His technique
Gerhard Kubassa enjoys to constantly break new ground in the realization of his art. Over 10 years he continued to learn etching, Asian woodcut, photography, sculpturing and bronze casting and developed several completely new approaches. In 2010 he received the “Alfred Schmeller Award” for the development of an innovation in the field of print graphics.
Especially sculptural work gained great importance to him as of 2010. Many bronze castings were created and also works made of fabric, sports equipment, everyday objects, wood and other natural materials.
During this time, many sculpture-proceeding sketches were created, as well as first drafts for three-dimensional works that weren´t realized.
Kubassa’s work is characterized by a great sense of form, sensitivity in design and feeling for space. Over and over again, he manages to challenge the viewer’s perception.
Today, his growingbody-cycle can be found in mainly three variations: as paintings (acrylic on canvas), as high-quality art prints and as metal laser cuts with different surface treatments – and at the start of each of these variants there is a simple hand sketch.
Find out more about the evolution of the growingbody » here.
It is a large forest that I paint and draw. Every picture is part of this forest.
Gerhard Kubassa