Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the second Abstract online art show for the month of January 2021. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (photography, digital, mixed media, collage, oil on canvas, acrylics, graphite, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, spray paint, wax, fabric on board, copper and steel). Each submission has been judged based on the following elements of artistic expression: orginality and quality of art, overall design, creativity, interpretation of the theme, demonstration of artistic ability and usage of medium. Out of all entries, 152 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: USA, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Japan, Cyprus, Australia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Russia, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Slovakia, China, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Qatar, Romania. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

I have always worked almost exclusively with acrylic on canvas, or occasionally on masonite or paper. I have always worked using unconventional methods, as well. This has not been for purposes of being different for different's sake, but in order to express what I want (need?) to express. Consequently, I have made it a habit over the years to play with paint in order to learn more about what it is capable (and not capable) of doing. This has led me to paint on glass, then transfer that paint into "paint assemblages", extrude paint from modified syringes creating webbed paintings that resemble bent, colored wire, and most recently, to sling paint from ultra-fine straight pins, at very high speed, onto canvas. The mark created by doing this just blew me away the first time I made it. Its defining characteristic is electric energy, but the incredibly fine nature of the mark is also striking. It immediately struck me as the perfect visual signifier for string theory. Beginning around 2006, I used this mark to create images of "the universe of mind and spirit" as I envisioned it, inspired by images of the physical universe produced by the Hubble space telescope. Three series resulted from that effort. All through this period, I wondered about mixing color optically by overlapping the fine skeins produced by this mark and eventually began a series to explore the matter. These two paintings represent tangents from those series and are both “one offs” making use of leftover materials. They both use the aforementioned mark and “WōV1” explores optical color mixing.

The wall sculptures belong to my series 3D-typography which opens up an interdisciplinary field of tension between letters and architectonic concepts. Their geometric style is concrete constructive, and I have also used corresponding primary colours in the past. Recently, however, for the submitted L-Pop and V-Pop installations, each are of four identically structured sculptures displaying the letters L or V, I turned to pop art colours, comparible to those used by Andy Warhol. The choice and arrangement of diverse vivid colours should make the four individual sculptures looking completely different, and should create an amazing contrast to their rigorous 3D-geometry. Ulf König lives in the City of Ulm, south of Germany. Since 2004 he works as a self-educated freelance artist and designer. He has participated in around 50 solo- and group-exhibitions in Europe, Canada, USA, received 9 honors and awards, and has published in 6 art-magazines.

I work in concept-based suites of visual works. These examples are what I refer to as rain paintings where layers of carbon, graphite, soot, and glue are applied to surfaces and then exposed horizontally to exterior conditions that span several days. During this condition wind, rain, dust and various atmospheric conditions etch into the top layers of the facade creating pointillist markings, abstract tonal cascades and areas of bleached whiteouts. At times, the images created by this process suggest celestial bodies, other times networks of molecular spheres. The final phase involves bringing the works indoors to the easel where tones and washes of paint are applied emphasizing the dark to light extremes of these weathered surfaces. In creating this work, what starts out as a chance-operation concludes with the rendering by the hand.

When people view my art I want them to be drawn in and their curiosities piqued. I want them to take their own journey, ask their own questions and most of all, form their own conclusions. I want them to meander through the painting and ponder what the thought process must have been like when this painting was taking on life. My love of nature and all that surrounds me is my inspiration. I’m always surprised to step back and see that inspiration expressed in so many ways.