museumuesum

FLORIAN SLOTAWA

Grunes Motorrad, 2011 

motorcycles, metallic finish, approx. 110 x 205 x 80 cm each

Enduro, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Simson, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Simson Enduro, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Jawa, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Yamaha, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Suzuki, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

MZ, gelatin silver print, 43 x 55 cm

Seven motorcycles from the 1970s and ‘80s, which he brought to the same condition standard and eventually had varnished: in exactly the same colour his first car had, a VW Golf II. The bikes, which differ considerably in size and design, consolidate due to this new colour scheme; brand-specific features grow less evident in favour of a sculptural unity. The particular shade of colour in turn generates a reference to Slotawa’s own biography, marking a consistent trace in his oeuvre. While the motorcycles establish a sculptural weight within the space, an accompanying black and white photographic series illustrates the differences in their particular design and construction, highlighting the concept of sequence and comparability. The photographs are austere and analytical, contrary to the genre’s typical interpretation. Meanwhile, the artist’s intervention in the colour scheme is withheld – the title alone points towards it: “green bikes”.

(Source: museumuesum)