At first glance, the works of Beate Axmann may seem like expressive and perhaps experimental gestural pieces. Some are heavily layered, while others are painted with minimal strokes, often left unstretched and presented asymmetrically. However, this initial impression quickly deepens into a larger conversation as one becomes more attuned to the intricate details, elaborate layers, and vibrant energy within her work. Axmann’s true beauty lies in her rich process and her ability to create powerful works through assertive, expressive, and intuitive strokes.

Beate Axmann is a seasoned and well-rounded artist whose paintings reveal the seemingly invisible soul within. A typical piece combines symbols, colors, forms, text, drips, light, and darkness, all working together as a visual symphony of many moving parts. Occasionally, recognizable figures, such as faces, heads, or simple silhouettes, emerge from the dense fields of color and form. The work is anything but static, slow, or relaxed. Instead, it radiates a visual energy that draws the viewer into an active discovery, from side to side and corner to corner, revealing all that each work has to offer. In these dynamic compositions and expressive paint applications, Axmann flourishes as an artist, delivering a meaningful and radiant experience in each piece.

One of the main characteristics and singularities of Beate Axmann’s recent work is her use of light. Physically, light often appears to emanate from within the surface of the work, while at other times, it manifests as painted strokes of white or yellow. Light sometimes illuminates the entire piece, and at other times, it forcefully exists within a dark surface. In the works “Peacemaker: Tramondi IV and V,” light reigns as a dominant stroke of white that moves across from one work to the next. These glowing lines blur at the top as if losing their physical and revelatory qualities, yet toward the bottom, they drip as the white paint returns to its physical, earthly nature. At that point, the paint can no longer resist the pull of gravity. In these works, the physical meets the ethereal.

In contrast, the presence of light in the works “Between North and South” takes on a more communal form. Rather than a single stroke of light or energy, these works reveal several circular, organic light forms over a densely layered surface. These long, horizontal paintings almost resemble a night scene in which the blurred lights of the landscape diffuse any sense of detail. Light and dark, night and day, north and south, in and out, abound as metaphors for the high contrast within the composition. Layers of superimposed text are revealed behind the curtain of darkness and obscurity.

To observe light is to experience the presence of life. In its absence, life itself appears incomplete. Beate Axmann’s light is not only symbolic but also revelatory. It proclaims life where there was none, celebrates where there was no joy, and rises as a beacon of hope where there was despair.

In the monumental painting “Peacemaker,” Axmann departs from shorter expressive brushstrokes and creates a beautifully captivating work that combines qualities of abstract expressionism and surrealism. Similar to Roberto Matta’s large paintings of cosmic mysticism, Axmann suggests an elaborate organic composition of seemingly abstract three-dimensional parts. The painting presents a sort of inner and outer cosmos that weaves dream with reality. Axmann’s use of subtle, translucent white also references Matta’s treatment of light. In this painting, a striking large circular form emerges, resembling an all-seeing eye. Its undeniable presence feels both intimidating and nurturing.

To observe Beate Axmann’s work with a mere glance is to miss the layered intricacies it offers. For these paintings to reveal themselves from surface to soul, one must open the doors of the guarded self and let the light come through. It is in this state of contemplation and assimilation that an artist like Beate Axmann penetrates deeply, delivering her best work with an abundance of force, energy, and mysterious, illuminating truth.

Sergio Gomez, MFA
Curator
Art NXT Level Projects
Zhou B Art Center