Arnulf Rainer

The double-sided panel is an intriguing work that cannot be definitively categorized as either a painting or an object. Created in 1959 and 1964, it was reworked by Rainer himself in 1974. This "double image" comes from a private collection and was originally acquired directly from the artist. The pink side, dating from 1959, reveals an engraved central design beneath the colored overpainting. It was created as an application for a public sculpture for Vorgartenstraße in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, but the design was rejected. Formally, Rainer seems to have combined elements of his gestural, informal "centralizations," which emerged in the early 1950s, with a preference for strong colors. Thus, around 1958/59, in addition to black paintings, works in large formats dominated in vermilion, crimson, and pink. The second side, which shows a shimmering surface of green-violet to blue-black colors and is striking for its interesting relief, is dated 1964. In 1974, the artist reworked the overpainting of the pink side and titled it "Design for Vorgartenstraße." The violet-black side was also re-glazed by Rainer. The screw hole from the attachment of the two wooden panels, as well as the writing and the dates 1959 and 1964, disappeared under the new overpainting. However, the relief remained. The texts and numbers newly added by the artist, as well as the signature, date from the time of the revision. The metal frame that holds the two works together is part of the artwork, as it bears some traces of color from the overpainting. This is a highly effective and exciting work by Arnulf Rainer. The artist did not limit his "centralizations" to the surface alone but emphasized the sculptural and three-dimensional nature of this work through the engraving and the double-sidedness.