We humans are always caught between herd instinct and the need for peace and quiet. We long for the hustle and bustle of fairgrounds and crowded clubs as well as lonely forest huts and deserted beaches. How much company do we need, how much time alone? When is being alone a healthy need for peace and quiet, and when can loneliness and social isolation become a burden? The fact is: humans are social beings. But our need for closeness fluctuates. Sometimes sardines, sometimes lone wolves. Especially in times of the coronavirus pandemic, the question of humans as social beings is more relevant than ever. When social contact is restricted, being alone can quickly turn into loneliness.
In the exhibition “everything seems to be good when I am taking a bath”, Raymond Ganter addresses the ambivalent topic of “closeness” and tackles the question of “how much company do we need?” in an artistic way. Are we (too) lonely when we only meet a few people? Why are we drawn to crowded beaches in the company of countless other people? Visually, the artist plays with the dissolution of the figures and the scenery, thus creating the ambivalent perception we have of the society that surrounds us. Right now, we are all feeling this torn feeling particularly clearly. We are practically craving contact and at the same time find it exhausting and even worrying. We vacillate between being alone and longing for a picture of big events like festivals that no longer feel uncomfortable.
In Gantner’s pictures, which have names like “Die BadendInnen”, “überfülltes Ufer”, “Glas City” or “Juntos”, the contrasts between sociability and being alone become clear. Using the technique of screen printing and oil on canvas, Gantner approaches his motifs slowly. Screen printing is not used purely as a means of reproduction, but as a creative tool in the process of creating the image. In addition to the screen prints, sculptural works can also be seen, such as “The Glass Tower”, “The Overcrowded Tower Block” and “Architecture as a Meeting Point”. In the sculptures, the artist explores the theme from a figurative and architectural perspective, using various plastics such as Plexiglas, acrylic glass and Vivak as materials.
Community, sociability, closeness, distance and loneliness – this subject area has rarely been as challenging and topical as it is right now. The current extreme situation shows us our paradoxical need between the desire for seclusion on the one hand and a sense of community on the other. Where people can otherwise move fluidly between the two extremes, we currently lack the freedom of choice. Having the choice of when to pursue which need makes all the difference.