(Pfaffenberg near Obervellach 1927–2015 Vienna)
Stook, on the reverse signed, dated Grabmayr 1987, oil on canvas, 102 x 100 cm, framed

Provenance:
Galerie Sandner, Darmstadt
Private Collection, Germany

“...because I have such a strong connection to nature, it was always the element that supported or carried my painting. Nature provides ever such a lot, in terms of colour, shape, light and sensations…”
Franz Grabmayr in: Wolfgang Hingst, Power, Passion, Obsession, 2016

Grabmayr’s works were also created in the midst of nature. Taking long marches in his stride, standing in rushing rivers, painting atop trailers coupled to tractors, he captures the light and energy of nature on his canvas. His works seem to be lit from the inside out. He uses the impasto technique to apply paint so that he can make light visible and turn his landscapes into something that is tangible and perceptible, along with the rocks, fields, meadows and woods that they depict.
The large-scale ‘sand pit paintings’ were created in the 1960s, and this subject would go on to occupy him for many years. He started with earthy tones, ochres and browns, later discovering shades of violet and various nuances of yellow. The intention was to bring the layering, richness and purity of colour into harmony with nature. In the 1980s, he added sand, straw and ash to the mix, thereby expanding his material language. The fire paintings were created from 1983 onwards. The bonfire illuminates the sand pit in a completely new way. The blue of the sky creates a striking contrast against the glow of the orange, flame-red sand walls. Subsequent developments would connect flames to dance, thereby leading to the second major focus of Grabmayr’s art: his dance pictures.