What is the Leitmotiv in an artistic work?

The Leitmotiv issue by Tim Cullmann is a complete exploration based on new body of works and reflections belongs to different series currently exhibited in two different venues in Modena: Metronom_fuorimappa host Summer collection. Cropped & reloaded, a research on the images value and the influence they reciprocally generate, while the series shown in THC architecture, I'd talk nicely to them and try and get them to come closer will reflect on the subversion of the dark room's technique through a strong use of natural light. Here photography meets painting, high meets low, bad painting (spray gesture) meets high culture (barytha paper).

The set-up splits in two different venues, is the clue for a practice that is conceived to be in dialogue with space and places, with a site-specific and tailored selection of pieces.

The inception of this project, main achievement of a theoretical and practical research, is the image: facing some generical questions like “Where do images come from?” and “the difference between images made by amateur and others made by professionist”, Cullmann realizes the appropriation, the pictorial rethoric, the visual discourse that is improvisation and concurrently focus of the research: images aren’t neutral at all; they provoke uncommon reactions, from fascination to skepticism. From here, a net of connections, possibilities and free associations, comes alive.

Tim Cullmann’s research is representative of an interconnected method, af a mixture of style and technique that is often present in works by artists from the youngest generation.

The leitmotiv issue is part of the year-round project Mapping the Studio, organized by Metronom with the patronage of Modena Municipality. With Mapping the Studio, Metronom carries on the activity of research and promotion of artists from the newest generation.

Tim Cullmann Lives and works between Amsterdam and Siegen. Half of the artist TILO&TONI. After the study in photography, painting and sculpture at University of Siegen, from 2015 he started his master within photography department at Gerrit Rietveld Academie. In august 2015 he participated to Fotopub Festival in Novo Mesto, Slovenia with a personal exhibition, being chosen as the winner of the portfolio review. In 2016, after two collective exhibitions in Amsterdam, he has been selected by Fondazione Fotografia in Modena for the European Photography Award, with the chance to feature his works in the collective Summer show. With Skinnerboox he is working on the publication of an artist book.

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What is the Leitmotiv in an artistic work?

Presumably, this is the most important question of substance with regard to an artist and his work. A further question is the sources of inspiration according to which an artwork is created.

Alongside the aspect of the topic of an oeuvre which handles the title The Leitmotiv issue in a self-referential manner by means of intentionally annexing the polysemy of the word issue, the title of the exhibition points in two ways to the practice of contemporary culture magazines such as 032c or Tissue.

The word issue is used in reference to the latest issues which change both within the thematic superstructure and the corporate design from edition to edition. Secondly, it seems that all culture magazines share similarities in terms of a broad array of creative aspects to a specific topic.

They always focus on art, fashion, design, photography or other areas as such. They never cover only one of these fields. This approach makes sense because often the theoretical mental concepts and aesthetic reflections resemble each other. 

Moreover, in most cases it is worthwhile to change the perspective and look at other disciplines. Although the boundaries of the specific fields become indistinct one can learn enormously from associated subjects.

Similar to this approach, Tim Cullmann focuses on the broad spectrum of cultural productions and appropriates everything that seems reasonable and fun without applying any form of hierarchy or personal preference. On one side, in this edition, methods of analog photography meet contemporary painting and on the other side, with reference to the aspect of language, pop music meets the rhetoric of fashion and modern magazines. And here we’ve come full circle.

Essay written in occasion of The Leitmotive issue by TILO&TONI.

www.metronom.it
www.timcullmann.de