Wolf Kahn's 2000 Interview Reveals Landscape Painting Philosophy and Artistic Influences

Wolf Kahn, who died March 15 at 92, discussed his approach to landscape painting in a 2000 interview originally published by Kunsthaus Bühler for his first museum exhibition in Stuttgart. The artist, a student of Hans Hofmann, emphasized formal concerns over descriptive accuracy, viewing landscape as offering the most freedom for painterly exploration. He identified as a formalist painter who values color harmonies and avoids arbitrary decisions, with only 20% of exhibited works created entirely outdoors. Kahn cited influences including Cézanne, De Kooning, Bonnard, and Morandi while expressing admiration for contemporary landscape painters like Rackstraw Downes, Wayne Thiebaud, Frank Auerbach, Anselm Kiefer, and Alex Katz. He rejected German Romantic landscape traditions, particularly Caspar David Friedrich's work, and acknowledged his paintings' popularity while denying any anxiety about preserving it. The interview reveals Kahn's preference for modest claims over the pretentiousness he associated with Rothko and Barnett Newman, focusing instead on enthusiasm, subtlety, and nuance. His working method involves conscious formal decisions at every stage, with favorite painting dimensions of 36×52 inches, though he occasionally worked larger in his new studio. Kahn described aiming to 'do Rothko again, after nature' while maintaining fidelity to his own highest aspirations rather than visual accuracy.