"Informel is not a 'style', but an attitude. An attitude that not only includes an openness of the artistic composition, but also generally includes the openness of the work as a process that encompasses both the creative process and the process of perception, not just one's own, but also that of the recipient, united in the reality of the work of art itself. " (quote from: Marie-Luise Otten, Peter Brüning und das Potential des Informel, in: Peter Brüning 1929-1970, Galerie Haas, 2019, p. 14) Peter Brüning is one of the most important representatives of German Informel. His works impressively show this openness towards the image composition, coloring and the brushstroke - but also towards the viewer. Brüning's art, like that of other informal artists, is accessible to everyone and avoids any exclusivity.
This oil painting shows a dynamic composition that reveals a virtuoso brushwork. Brüning mainly worked with brown and green tones, using black color accents to structure the picture and direct the viewer's eye. The present work is representative of his abstract-gestural art, which consciously places the act of painting, i.e. the creative process, in the foreground. His art clearly echoes Action Painting, as it can be found within Abstract Expressionism from the 1950s onwards. The American Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is considered one of the most important protagonists of Action Painting. As it is the case with the Informel, the focus is on the painting process, which also includes simple painting media and the use of the body.
Brüning's art gained international recognition as early as in the 1950s, numerous solo exhibitions both in Germany and abroad were dedicated to him, and he won several sponsorship awards. His participation in important exhibition projects such as documenta II (1959), III (1964) and IV (1968) also consolidated his position on the international art market. [SL]