Cay Bahnmiller's Posthumous Berlin Exhibition Reveals Artist's Fragmented Inner World
From February 17 to April 15, Galerie Barbara Weiss Trautwein & Herleth in Berlin showcases a posthumous collection of Cay Bahnmiller's art, featuring over 30 wall-mounted pieces. The artist, originally from Michigan, passed away in 2007 at the age of 53, having spent her career in Detroit, where the city's industrial decline resonated with her aesthetic of curled edges and decay. Her small works, painted on layered collages of found materials like vintage illustrations and restaurant menus, often lack dates. These pieces reflect deep inner turmoil, with examples like Untitled (undated) displaying torn drawings and dark paint. A 1993 assault shifted her focus inward, influencing works such as the 1997 Untitled. Bahnmiller's practice was characterized by a fierce determination, at times leading her to halt a solo exhibition on its opening day.
Key facts
- Cay Bahnmiller died in 2007 in her early fifties
- The exhibition runs from 17 February to 15 April at Galerie Barbara Weiss Trautwein & Herleth in Berlin
- Over 30 wall-based works are featured, mostly small and painted onto layered collages
- Bahnmiller spent her working life in Detroit, reflecting its industrial decay in her aesthetic
- A 1993 violent assault made her work more inward-looking
- Untitled (1997) includes slashing paint strokes over a map of Heidelberg, sometimes forming her surname
- Artist's Book (c. 2003) features an exhibition invite taped over a Matisse reproduction
- Bahnmiller once shut down a solo show on its opening day
Entities
Artists
- Cay Bahnmiller
- Bob Dylan
- Matisse
Institutions
- Galerie Barbara Weiss Trautwein & Herleth
- ArtReview
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Detroit
- Michigan
- United States
- Heidelberg
- Argentina