Ralf Altrieth - Here and there - XXXL

There are works that we look at. And others in which we step inside.

This painting by Ralf Altrieth belongs to the second category.

The gaze circulates without ever truly settling. Shapes appear, transform, disappear — silhouettes, fragments, barely named presences. Nothing is imposed; everything is built in relation to the one who looks.

“What is directly visible matters less to me than what can happen when you look. This is how I bring my paintings to life, from the very first brushstroke.” — Ralf Altrieth

Here, the painting does not tell a story: it puts the gaze in motion.

Dense, vibrant, almost mineral colors act like living matter. The lines are free and incisive, arising like instinctive writing, close to a musical gesture — Ralf Altrieth is also a saxophonist, so this rhythmic dimension runs through his entire body of work.

But it is mainly the scale that transforms the experience. With a width of 260 cm, this painting does more than adorn a wall: it structures the space, immediately captures attention, and continues to reveal details over time. Depending on the light and the distance, the reading changes, renews itself, deepens.

Each painting by Ralf Altrieth develops a unique universe: this one stands out for its pure energy, where forms float and dialogue in a highly dynamic open space.

It speaks to those who seek expressive, living painting that does not exhaust itself over time. It never reveals itself completely. With every look, new shapes emerge, new connections appear. It is a painting with which one lives — and which keeps evolving.

Works of this intensity and this size, rare on the market, occupy an exceptional place in Ralf Altrieth’s work. They are sought after for their ability to transform a place and to assert themselves as an anchor point in a space.

It is a work that one never perceives at a single glance, that one keeps rediscovering, and that is precisely where its strength lies.

CRITIQUE ET PRESSE:
Here is what art historian and museum director Dr. Friedhelm Häring writes about Ralf Altrieth’s work (excerpt):
"In this sense, Ralf Altrieth’s pictorial poems are a pure childish chant. From the crucible of improvisation, he brings forth a pristine world made of spontaneous joys and strong impulses... But the most surprising thing manifested in these canvases is a communicative tenderness for the states of mind of the human being."

Writer Bernard Pignero (excerpt):
"There is in Ralf Altrieth’s painting a generosity that has its own language, vivid and colorful, without making color a creed, funny without intending to caricature, joyful without idealism, energetic without being thunderous, in short a deeply human language."

Journalist Stéphane Cerri (excerpt):
"The eye must bounce, cling, detach; it is drawn by the color, by the energy of the gesture, by the strange cohabitations, the musical rhythms of jazz where Ralf Altrieth also works as a saxophonist, a proponent of improvisation."

DETAILS:
Oil and acrylic on canvas, 2023

Thick, professional-grade canvas

205 × 260 cm

Unique work, hand-painted
Excellent condition

Signed and dated on the back by the artist
Certificate of authenticity signed by the artist

Photos are taken in natural light, as closely as possible to the true hues. The situational visuals are intended to convey the painting’s dimensions and physical presence. The proportions are preserved.

SHIPPING:
The canvas is shipped rolled, carefully protected in a sturdy tube to ensure safe transport.
The indicated dimensions correspond to the work mounted on a frame. The canvas includes extra white margins to allow proper re-tensioning. The buyer may entrust this work to a local framer.

NOTABLE EXHIBITIONS:
2025
MAC Paris
Galerie LATELIER, Sète

2024
Galerie LATELIER, Sète

2023
L’espace d’art Chaillioux, Fresnes
A.R.P.A.C., Castelnau-Le-Lez
Galerie Le Lieu Multiple, Montpellier

2020
Galerie N5, Montpellier

2019
Château d'Assas, Le Vigan
Exposition Les artistes nomades, Aubais

2018
A DESSIN 4, Sète
MAC Paris, Paris
Galerie My Art Goes Boom, Sète

2017
Galerie La Salamandre, Nîmes
Galerie 75, Rouen
SMAC Festival, Toulon

2016
MAC Paris, Paris
Pop Up, Notre-Dame de la Rouvière
Galerie My Art Goes Boom, Nîmes
Espace des Arts, Le Boulou

2015
L’Appart’ à Part, Nîmes
Galerie Plurielle, Sète

2014
Galerie U, Baiersbronn, Germany

2013
Galerie Théo de Seine, Paris
Galerie L’Étang D’Art, Bages

2012
Galerie Théo de Seine, Paris
Galerie Via Arte, Honfleur

2011
La Réserve, Orbec, with Gérard Délafosse
Laboratoire feadback, Saint Martin de la Lieue

2010
Galerie 175, Dozulé

2009
Galerie Au Quai Dock, Lisieux

2000
Galerie Hartmut Beck, Erlangen, Germany

1998
Galerie Hartmut Beck, Erlangen, Germany

1993
EWE, Freiburg, Germany