Rebirth in the "Art Cocoon"

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With new types of work that overcome the boundary between panel painting and sculpture with playful ease, the Erfurt artist is once again setting a strong example in the Corona crisis. Their “Cocoons” celebrate the rebirth of art - and remind us of times when an entire country felt as if it had been reborn. April 18th is the day that all of Germany is waiting for. Until then, the currently applicable lockdown rules to contain the corona pandemic have been extended. And last but not least, it is the artists who are longing for this day. This also applies to the Erfurt painter Tina Reichel. Under the title “Reborn”, that means “reborn” or “newly born”, she has created a completely new series of works with which she sets a colorful symbol against the sadness of the crisis. Today her new work appears just in time for her birthday. With this, the artist gives herself her best birthday present.

Tina Reichel is back with "Reborn"

Just so that you don't get a wrong impression: Reichel was never really gone. On the contrary! Her architecture pictures have been on view in Erfurt Cathedral under the title “Laut” since December.

For “Reborn” the artist did not create classic panel paintings, but rather sculptures that she calls “cocoons”. These are canvases initially painted with oil or acrylic, which are then processed after the application of paint using a process she has developed in order to then be set up in an upright position in different sizes from 120 to 185 centimeters in height.

With her new work, Tina Reichel is expanding her repertoire to include sculptural design and is thus entering a new dimension of her work. In terms of content, it sets an example - even in times of the Corona crisis. In addition, she remains true to her motto, which she has carried through the past few months: "Art does not stand still and I certainly do not."

The Erfurt native also refers the title “Reborn” to her personal biography. It is about the end of the GDR, about the transition to the common Federal Republic of Germany and from then on about a country that was created as something new by both sides, from the East and the West: And suddenly Germany felt as if it had been reborn . “Reborn” makes it clear that something new can be “born” from something that already exists. And so a three-dimensional sculpture grows out of a two-dimensional image, an object that combines the properties of both.

“The subject of sculptures has always been present in my head,” says Tina Reichel. “The fact that these works emerged from painting ultimately came from a spontaneous idea, but that's exactly what I like about it. I then developed this concept further organically and called the individual works '' Cocoons '' because the finished objects not only have the shape of cocoons, but because a cocoon is also something like a sculpture that has grown in nature, something that above all else the subject of 'protection' and security implies. "

In addition, against the background of the biological process of pupation of a caterpillar, Reichel's cocoons are metaphorical for ideas of resurrection or rebirth. “A possibly unattractive caterpillar will turn into a beautiful, colorful butterfly in the shelter of the cocoon,” says Reichel. “That is a very old picture, but also for us people today an incredibly beautiful and powerful picture. And who knows what else will come of my 'Cocoons'? "

However, even without a butterfly slipping from them, changes can be observed again and again in some of Tina Reichel's “Cocoons”. It is more about a metamorphosis of light. As soon as twilight sets in, these “cocoons” appear in a completely new blaze of colors. Their structures also change, especially when they are additionally irradiated with UV light. This special art concept can currently still be experienced in the artist's studio. In the course of spring, the first works are to be exhibited in a "Luxury Edition". One thing is certain: After the lockdown, the art world will feel reborn too.