Ute Bartel (mansionaticum)

An unreal view of reality. In her works, Ute Bartel (b. 1961 in Halle, lives and works in Cologne) deals with everyday circumstances, the “mansionaticum.” A term which at first glance seems epochal, but etymologically simply means “belonging to the household.” In a concrete confrontation with particular places and situations, she is interested in things in and of themselves, in their formal characteristics, such as their forms, colors, and structures. The artist’s work is characterized by her idiosyncratic approach to the multiple creative possibilities of photography. Using analog and digital techniques, she creates collages, objects, and works that project into the respective space, in which materials such as waxed tablecloths, plastic bags, or straws are also used. This generously illustrated monograph presents structures of familiar and yet unknown realities marked by highly pronounced forms and bold colors and provides comprehensive insight into one of the focal points of Ute Bartel’s oeuvre. Ute Bartel studied at the Academy of Art in Münster, where she was a master student of Reiner Ruthenbeck. Her works have been widely exhibited at, among others, the Kunstverein Speyer, the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, and the Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster.