Gottfried Salzmann

ABOUT THE WORK

Cityscapes

New York is more than an imposing city of skyscrapers and urban canyons. With his atmospheric compositions consisting of photography, collage, and painting, Gottfried Salzmann makes it possible to experience the fascinating diversity of the famous metropolis. These atmospheric snapshots do not claim to depict reality but still capture it more completely than documentary photographs are able to.

Instead of using the typical watercolour bleeding for the softer depiction of physical objects, the artist opts for surprisingly accurate and detailed illustration. With quick brushstrokes, Salzmann captures the urban architecture from an original point of view. Colourful dabs break through the picture’s grey foundation. Billboards become Salzmann’s playful accessories. In his compositions, headlines and poppy advertisements become a form of commentary.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

The youngest of three siblings, Gottfried Salzmann was born in 1943 and grew up near Salzburg. Although he had never had much exposure to the art world, as a twelve year-old, he surprised his parents with a special Christmas wish: a book about painting. He received the book, and has been passionately dedicated to art ever since. Internationally, Salzmann made his mark with his extraordinary use of watercolour. Most of the time, he uses different techniques simultaneously, creating a bridge between watercolour and collage, between photography and drawing.

While studying art at the Academy of Visual Arts in Vienna from 1963 to 1965, he visited the major European museums and found the role model he was looking for in William Turner. From 1965 to 1968, he pursued another degree at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. These days, Salzmann has become a role model for many students. His work is famous and has won multiple awards. Salzmann lives and works in Paris and Vence, France.

TECHNIQUE

Gottfried Salzmann constantly tries out new artistic disciplines and mixes photography with collage, acrylics with printed material, and much more. The underlying constant that ties his oeuvre together is detailed watercolour. Salzmann finds his source material walking through the streets of New York. As an observer with a camera, he searches for new sides of the city.

Afterwards, the resulting photographs are edited in a laborious process, often implemented on wood. Here, the editing and the multilayered superimpositions remain visible. Salzmann creates poetic montages from different parts of the city and urban elements such as billboards. Although he created the piece “Reflection 7th Avenue” with watercolours, the glass façade of the New York skyscraper appears contoured and the detailed reflections reveal a look at another street.

Gottfried Salzmann: Cityscapes – From Paris to New York, Salzburg Museum, München 2013.
Gottfried Salzmann, Pascal Bonafoux, Klaus-Albrecht Schröder und Nikolaus Schaffer, Paris 2006.
Nikolaus Schaffer: Gottfried Salzmann, Salzburg, Paris, New York ... , Works from 1967-2002. From a series of monographs on Salzburg Art, Volume 27, Salzburger Museum Carolino Augusteum, Salzburg, 2003.
Gottfried Salzmann: Watercolour landscapes and cities: from the idea to the pure watercolour, Munich, 2000.
Salzmann: Water Reflections, Nicole Bottet, Galerie Wenz, Salzburg, 1993.

Solo Exhibitions

2015	Gottfried Salzmann in New York, Franklin Bowles Galleries, New York City, USA
2015	Gottfried Salzmann, Joel Knafo Art, Arles, France
2015	Gottfried Salzmann – Stadtlandschaften von Paris nach New York, Galerie Wolfgang Exner, Vienna, Austria
2013	Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria
2013	Franklin Bowles Galleries, New York, USA
2013	Cityscapes, Galerie 48, Lyon, France
2013	Recent works, Galerie Arcturus, Paris, France
2013	Atmosphären, Salzburg Museum, Salzburg, Austria
2012	Kubinhaus Zwickledt Museum, Wernstein am Inn, Austria
2006	Salzburger Museum, Carolino Augusteum, Salzburg, Austria
2006	Gottfried Salzmann. New York, New York. Print Works, Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria
2006	Gottfried Salzmann. Book Presentation & New Works, Galerie Wolfrum, Vienna, Austria
2005	Gottfried Salzmann, Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria
2003	Salzburg Museum, Salzburg, Austria
2001	Musée de St. Maur, La Varenne, France
1999	Metropolitan Museum, Manila, Philippines
1999	Museum of Modern Art, Rupertinum, Salzburg, Austria
1998	Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp, France
1993	Musée de la Seita, Paris, France
1991	Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Linz, Austria
1987	Schweinfurt Municipal Collection, Schweinfurt, Germany
1982	Albertina Museum, Vienna, Austria
1973	Maison de la Culture, Amiens, France

Group Exhibitions

2013	Nicole Bottet, Gottfried Salzmann, Galerie22, Cabrières d’Avignon, France
2013	Väter_Töchter, STRABAG Art Lounge, Vienna, Austria
2011	NICOLE BOTTET - NIEVES - GOTTFRIED SALZMANN, Galerie Welz, Salzburg, Austria
2011	Salzmann + Salzmann, Fischhorn Castle, Austria
2011	The Schömer Haus in the Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg, Austria
2009	Lentos Art Museum, Best of Austria, Linz, Austria
2008	The City of Salzburg - Views from Five Centuries, The Salzburg Museum Neue Residenz, Salzburg, Austria
2008	L'Espace Raymond Moretti, Paris, France
2007	One Man's Tribute to September 11th, Austrian Embassy, Washington, D.C., USA
1996	Nicole Bottet Gottfried Salzmann, Centre d'Art Contemporain, Rouen, France