Opening: Monday, 18. Juni, 7:00 pm
Studio talk: Gottfried Bechtold: Tuesday, 17. July, 7:00pm
Our series of exhibitions titled Werkschau is in its twelfth year celebrating contemporary photographers who have made significant contributions to artistic photography in Austria. This year’s version is dedicated to the Vorarlberg artist Gottfried Bechtold whose artistic career has spanned almost 40 years.
Gottfried Bechtold is one of the most outstanding and multifaceted artist personalities of our time. Both interdisciplinary as well as multimedia define his work. His main interests include expanded sculptural ideas that conceptually manifest themselves in his video and film works.
WERKSCHAU XII focuses on 3 different bodies of work plus a new installation created by the artist. Bechtold’s photo series covering many years “Bild im Bild” (picture in picture) for example Fazilet and his “Reisebilder” – Standbilder, travel and status photos from 1971/2001 and in the cinema his “Fotofilme” will be shown.
In the small exhibition space we will show Bechtold’s newest work titled Der verkehrte Blick (the reverse look) an installation with cameras, tripod like characters and boards of text.
The camera as auratic object – a time witness.
The apparatus as “shutter” of pictures with double meanings the physically perceivable and the introverted picture. It suffices to arouse the viewer with these time bound gadgets.
The questioning of time and space dimensions in Bechtold’s newer works just like in his earlier photographic and film pieces play an important role. Characterized by the constant role reversal between documentary and conceptually styled methods, different levels of reality as well as a discourse with the sense of touch.
PHOTOBOOK and EDITION:
WERKSCHAU XII – GOTTFRIED BECHTOLD – WORKS 1970-2007
Photobook Nr. 38, 2007. Pub.: FOTOGALERIE WIEN
Texts by: Robert Fleck, Hubert Matt, Sylvia Taraba
A4, 40 pages, including numerous faces in b/w and full color, German/English
Price: € 11,- (incl. forwarding costs: Europe € 15,- / Overseas € 18,- )
WERKSCHAU-EDITION Nr. 6, FOTOGALERIE WIEN
Gottfried Bechtold: “Fingernägelschneiden”, 1973
Pigment-Print on Hahnemühle -Fotorack / Ultrachrome
Edition: 30, handsigned, chronologically numbered
Price: € 200,- (incl. forwarding costs:Europe € 208,- / Overseas € 215,-)