Michael Raedecker, 1963

Amsterdam-born Michael Raedecker creates canvases that draw attention to the botanical element in urban life and bear comparison with works in the Landscape tradition. His scenes are usually devoid of figures, although they often allude to the communities that have shaped them. His paintings show interior/exterior spaces that seem familiar but have something strange about them, hidden away. The surfaces of his paintings, which he embellishes with string, yarn, or any other fiber references embroidery and look like they are made of thick layers of paint. With a palette that conjures up old photographs or movable film sets, these surfaces become groundless, dream-like regions. Raedecker’s works are far removed from the nature sketches of the past, reminding us that the traditional definition of landscape painting is no longer valid. The essence and freshness of his artistic practice can be seen in the way he subverts such a historic style. In the painting “Level”, the space, or rather the small area of a large building with its predominant greys, browns, and whites, can be seen as a relic of a memory.