VITA

Bärbel Ricklefs-Bahr

Painter out of passion

Emotions, spontaneity, generosity

Bärbel Ricklefs-Bahr is a painter who deliberately takes risks in her art. She does not plan in advance, but instead relies on spontaneity.

This artist requires a certain amount of freedom, generosity, and limitlessness to reach her expectations of art. She wants to shape with colours, and bring contrasts into harmony.  Without pressure, she follows her intuition.  She works informally, not letting herself get boxed in by rules of style. Her art develops out of the process of painting.

None of her works is like another. Paintings with subdued colours alternate with those of bright or pastel colours. There are also paintings in which the deservedness and the intrusiveness of her work almost unite.

White and black are added to it, enhance or limit, depending on the placement and extent, the radiance of the primary tones.

The shapes also vary. In addition to smaller geometric figures, such as filling appearing letters or numbers, revive, completely free from within the colour, developed abstract entities of different size canvas. They often stand out vividly from a white background.

The artist omits contour lines. She prefers soft edges which slightly ravel out at times.

Some of the colours forms change into others, melt and through this gain substance and scope.

A piece begun as abstract painting may eventually form objects and lead to a theme. She does not wish to restrict the viewer. Instead, she wants to trigger emotions through the colours that are at the foundation of her paintings, through the shapes one might discover, and through exciting, diverse textures. The viewer will find their own access if they engage in the experience.

The material paintings by Bärbel Ricklefs-Bahr invite us to go on a discovery journey within them, and on a worthwhile and entertaining journey that appeals to our emotions and offer a great variety.

Text: Elke Grapenthien, MA Art Historian