Lot 50 D

The paintings by Jonas Burgert gather together a panopticon of impressions that address the obscure behind the visible in an enigmatic way, staging the compositional structure similarly to a cryptic theatre play. […] Thus, his mostly large-scale compositions are dedicated to nothing less but the drama of life, the history of mankind and the world. The painterly explorations are in the tradition of the centuries-old motif of world theatre (Theatrum mundi), in which the world becomes a stage, life becomes a play, man becomes a player. (Hans-Peter Wipplinger, in: Jonas Burgert. Lebendversuch, Cologne 2011, p.75).
The description “world theater” characterises the monumental painting Täuschung [deception] in the best possible way. A diverse cast of numerous androgynous characters act within a mysteriously convoluted theatre backdrop made of partly collapsed brick walls. A monstrous giant sits in the midst of this backdrop; however, the general activity is concentrated on a figure in the centre of the picture, which is held and guided by the others with ribbons like a puppet on a string. A figure wrapped in white cloth with a globe in its hands reminiscent of mythical sibyls, prophetesses of antiquity, witnesses the event. Physiognomies and costumes cannot be assigned to any time or space, the proportions of the figures vary according to the model of medieval painting and suggest different hierarchical levels. Jonas Burgert’s fantastic visual cosmos with its multi-layered allusions and riddles awaits the individual interpretations of the viewer.