For the Edition Hatje Cantz Martin Neumaier has produced twenty small, very fine originals. Each is based on a different page from an antiquarian book on colonialism that he found. With an individual ballpoint pen overdrawing and an additional fragment of a historical illustration of an animal, each one becomes a unique work of art. The playful treatment of geometrical shapes on historical texts adorned with visual collage elements dissolves the original contexts, distancing the piece from them in a way. Concepts, text, and image combine to create a skillfully conceived, new visual and intellectual experience that also brings the viewer real pleasure. The artist’s political statement on historicism and colonialism, as well as his fundamentally critical attitude toward outdated structures are translated with ease into art. We’re very pleased to be able to offer twenty enchanting originals from this series.
