Susanne Kühn

Although Susanne Kühn (*1969) studied alongside the now-celebrated protagonists of the New Leipzig School at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, her work has, until recently, remained less well known. This may, however, be due to the artist's move to the USA immediately after graduating, where she lived and worked for seven years.Kühn's works clearly relate to certain elements of German Romanticism, such as the heavily symbolic visions of nature offered by Joseph Anton Koch or...
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Although Susanne Kühn (*1969) studied alongside the now-celebrated protagonists of the New Leipzig School at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, her work has, until recently, remained less well known. This may, however, be due to the artist's move to the USA immediately after graduating, where she lived and worked for seven years.Kühn's works clearly relate to certain elements of German Romanticism, such as the heavily symbolic visions of nature offered by Joseph Anton Koch or Caspar David Friedrich. However, what at first glance seem to be naturalistic depictions of mountains, forests, ravines, and eerie, moonlit landscapes, painted in the style of the old masters, are so adeptly combined with elements from other historical and cultural contexts-such as comics and fantasy, Japanese woodcuts, and East German graphic design-that the paintings have an entirely contemporary feel. This first comprehensive publication, featuring an interview with the artist, offers a survey of Susanne Kühn's heavily atmospheric, fantastical work from 2003 to the present. Exhibition schedule: Kunstverein Freiburg, September 14-November 11, 2007 · Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, May 16-December 7, 2008 · And other venues