Front Gallery

Lothar Osterburg: Waterline

November 2 through December 21, 2018
Opening reception: November 2, 2018, 6–8pm

Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1244
Lothar Osterburg, "Under Construction", 2015, Photogravure on Somerset white,.... Image #1147
Lothar Osterburg, "Ready for Departure", 2018, photogravure on Somerset White.... Image #1095
Lothar Osterburg, "Storm", 2018, photogravure on Somerset White , 22.5 x 30 i.... Image #1239
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1241
Lothar Osterburg, "City of Towers (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure on S.... Image #1132
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1242
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1256
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1245
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1255
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1248
Lothar Osterburg, "Receding Waters", 2018, Photogravure  on Somerset white wi.... Image #1142
Lothar Osterburg, "In the Woods (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure on Som.... Image #1138
Lothar Osterburg, "New Shores (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure  on Some.... Image #1140
Lothar Osterburg, "Escape", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset white, 16 x 15 inc.... Image #1134
Lothar Osterburg, "Flooded Library", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset white, 27.... Image #1136
Lothar Osterburg, "Beached", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset white, 22.5 x 22..... Image #1130
Lothar Osterburg, "Tornado chasing Train", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset whi.... Image #1146
Lothar Osterburg, "Amazonas (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure  on Somers.... Image #1128
Lothar Osterburg, "Upstream", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset white, 16 x 15 i.... Image #1149
Lothar Osterburg, "Above the Flood Plain", 2018, photogravure on Somerset Whi.... Image #1238
Lothar Osterburg, "Tornado approaching Barn", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset .... Image #1145
Lothar Osterburg, "Commuter Plane (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure on S.... Image #1133
Lothar Osterburg, "Bus (After The Flood)", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset whi.... Image #1131
Lothar Osterburg, "The Last Glacier (Miracle of the Snow)", 2018, Photogravur.... Image #1143
Lothar Osterburg, "The old School Bus (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure .... Image #1144
Lothar Osterburg, "Hut (After the Flood)", 2018, Photogravure on Somerset whi.... Image #1137
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1246
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #1", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1180
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #2", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1181
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #3", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1182
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #4", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1183
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #5", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1184
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #6", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1185
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #7", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1186
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #8", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1187
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #9", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper, .... Image #1188
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #10", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1189
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #11", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1190
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1247
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #12", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1191
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #13", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1192
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #14", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1193
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #15", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1194
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #16", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1195
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1251
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #17", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1196
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #18", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1197
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #19", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1198
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #20", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1199
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #21", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1200
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #22", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1201
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #23", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1202
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #24", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1203
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #25", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1204
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #26", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1205
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1250
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #27", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1206
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #28", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1207
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #29", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1208
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #30", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1209
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #31", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1210
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #32", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1211
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #33", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1212
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #34", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1213
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1249
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #35", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1214
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #36", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1215
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #37", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1216
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #38", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1217
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #39", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1218
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #40", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1219
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #41", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1220
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #42", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1221
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #43", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1222
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #44", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1223
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1252
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #45", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1224
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #46", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1225
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #47", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1226
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #48", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1227
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #49", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1228
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #50", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1229
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #51", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1230
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #52", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1231
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #53", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1232
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #54", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1233
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #55", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1234
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #56", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1235
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #57", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1236
Lothar Osterburg, "Waterline #58", 2018, photogravure on Fabriano book paper,.... Image #1237
Lothar Osterburg: Waterline (installation view). Image #1254

 

Lothar Osterburg: Waterline
November 2 December 21, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday, November 2, 6–8pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, November 17, 2:30pm


Lesley Heller Gallery is pleased to present Waterline, Lothar Osterburg’s 4th solo exhibition with the gallery.

Lothar Osterburg is known for his photogravure images of lost or imagined worlds, created using models built quickly and intuitively from readily available found materials. His models are photographed, then printed in photogravure—a 19th century photographic print process—resulting in images with an historic, timeless and nostalgic quality to them, making them seem both familiar yet foreign.

In Waterline, Osterburg returns to his decade old fascination with boats in the context of rising sea levels. The title refers to the word’s meaning as: the level water reaches on a floating body; and the level water reaches on a static object, marking a high-water line. He references past floods and eras during which much of today’s landmass was inundated, hinting at the cyclical nature of geological changes and the resilience of life on earth.

The boats and ships—each one hand made and with its own personality—serve as a metaphor for life overcoming its obstacles. The boats float atop the water, are tossed around by storms and waves, have sunk, are scattered in the landscape by receding waters, or are waiting for the impending waters to arrive.

Included in the exhibition is an installation of Osterburg’s models, something he does not always do. His hand-crafted boats, hang hip high along the gallery wall, suggesting an imaginary waterline; or a possible future sea level for the gallery’s’ location.

 

Lothar Osterburg (b. 1961 Braunschweig, Germany) was trained in printmaking and experimental film making at the Hochshule fur bildende Kunste (Art Academy), Braunschweig, Germany. Osterburg has taught printmaking at Pratt College, Columbia University, Cooper Union, and the Lacoste School of the Arts in France.  

Solo exhibitions include Lesley Heller Gallery, NY; Esther Massry Gallery, College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY; Moeller Fine Art, Berlin, Germany; ICPNA, Lima, Peru; Rockland Arts Center, Nyack, NY; Woodstock Center for Photography, Woodstock, NY; Moeller Fine Art, NY.

Notable awards include a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (2010); Cill Rialaig Art Center, Kerry, Ireland (2013); Bogliasco Foundation, Liguria, Italy (2011); American Academy of Arts and Letters, NY (2010); and New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2003 and 2009). He has collaborated on several sound and video projects that have been performed in and around New York City. 

Osterburg’s work is held in numerous collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Library of Congress, Washington D.C.; Art Institute of Chicago; and the New York Public Library. He has collaborated with artists including Lee Friedlander, Sol Lewitt, Wayne Thiebaud, Jim Dine, Judy Pfaff, Vija Celmins, Kiki Smith, Joel Peter Witkin and Brice Marden. Osterburg is currently based in Redhook, NY, and serves as an Artist in Residence in Studio Art specializing in Printmaking and Photographic Printmaking at Bard College.