Ulrich Erben's Analytical Painting at Galleria Gentili in Florence

The Galleria Gentili in Florence is hosting an exhibition of works by German painter Ulrich Erben (born 1940 in Düsseldorf). Erben's analytical painting focuses on the invisible yet fundamental boundary between surfaces, a sensitive zone that challenges the viewer's gaze in distinguishing beginning and end. He eliminates continuity, allowing different surfaces to meet and interpenetrate while differentiating through chromatic contrast. Following in the tradition of De Stijl and Malevich's Suprematism, Erben transcends representation to engage purely with color and line. His studies are particularly distinctive when juxtaposing similar colors, distinguishable by material 'fraying' that erases the notion of 'here' and 'there,' reinforcing the concept of a 'total' painting where the eye loses itself in an anguished drowning in the sea of color. The exhibition is reviewed by Niccolò Lucarelli.