Helene Getty took her visitors on a nice tour through her work at the Academy of Arts in Munich. But actually it was more like an aesthetic road trip into the deep philosophies of her legislating. In her paintings she takes the observer to exile places, from the clutches of reality to a constructed utopia, asking questions about the terms making people want to escape. Is it the bland feeling of just living in a work-sleep-balance, regorging Sisyphus-maintainance? Or is it rather the social environment, the expectations and the behavior-clusters that make us want to abscond? The final personal question is: »If you could start of from the beginning, would you do everything exactly the way you did it before again?« Escaping is here a reset button for the breakout from a home-made jailhouse, from the own bereft liberty. Apart from the paintings Helene Getty showed two of her installations: »Sky Valley« and »Everlasting Fight«. [Thank you Helene for such a fine insight on your work!]

Everlasting Fight (2014) [»The gradual decline of the creator within the own work is symbolized with the ficus – which stand for fertility and creation – and the method of piling starting with the loss of power through numbness.«]

From the series »Escape/Preparadise Sorry Now«, acrylic, printing, pigment, paint on canvas, 130 x 160 cm, 2014

From the series »Escape/Preparadise Sorry Now«, acrylic, printing, pigment, paint on canvas, 150 x 130 cm, 2014

From the series »Escape/Preparadise Sorry Now«, acrylic, printing, pigment, paint on canvas, 140 x 160 cm, 2014

Sky Valley 2014 [»What makes a human being successful? What is success? Is it cash, safety or the living dream? Financial freedom versus the death of a dream? What is it all about? What will finally succeed? The ace of spades stuck on the wheel emblematizes the card of death in vernacular. In war-psychological sight it was contrariwise used by american soldiers in Vietnam to encourage them in their mission.«]

All photos © by Helene Getty 2014

Helene Getty’s Website: helenegetty.com | www.flachware.de/helene-getty