Sabine Moritz

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Dusseldorf, Felix Ringel Galerie, Sabine Moritz: Bilder, 2012
Wuppertal-Barmen, Von der Heydt Kunsthalle, Sabine Moritz: Bilder und Zeichnungen 1991-2013, 2014, p. 69, illustrated in colour

Heni Publishing, Eds., Sabine Moritz: Helicopter, London 2014, p. 24, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate although the lower half of the composition is slightly lighter in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
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The German artist Sabine Moritz made the first of her Helicopters in 2002 following the events of 9/11. At a time where the image of aircraft and helicopters in particular was more than ever symbolically loaded, Moritz noted that ‘[a]ircraft have now also come to symbolise loss. They have become an ambivalent symbol’ (Sabine Moritz quoted in: Sabine Moritz, Helicopter, London 2014, n.p.). Over the last decades, the connotation of this image has shifted from a mainly positive towards highly ambiguous one. Associated with brutal wars and humanitarian catastrophes, the helicopter has become a symbol of collective memory and cultural remembrance. While the works of Moritz defy any personal or geographic specificity, the helicopters ultimately evoke very personal images and experiences: “The artistic tension in Moritz’s series arises from the fine balance of wider meaning and subjective response” (Ibid., n.p.).

In the present work, a seemingly endless line of helicopters bisects the canvas diagonally while constantly approaching closer towards the viewer. Moritz’s skilful painterly technique complements the ambiguity inherent in the motif of the helicopter. The coloured abstraction leads to a slight overall blur and the apparently beautiful and peaceful landscape is suddenly contrasted by wire fence on both sides of the canvas. Rather than boldly illustrating events, Moritz evokes subtle but powerful images that create a strong atmosphere. “Sabine Moritz’s works heighten our awareness of memory as a dynamic process in which things are constantly reframed and where there can be no definitive picture of the past” (Ibid. n.p.).