Lot 660 D

At the same time the artist also produced landscapes, featuring domestic animals in their own living space. They exist here in collective, turned away from the viewer, whilst the picture space opens up onto a seemingly idealistic landscape panorama. However, unlike the romantic nature picture, they do not convey any corresponding feeling of identification, but rather compel debate. Presented as objects of study, they are turned away from the viewer and reflect the tension between man and nature.
''By relying on the phenomena of manipulated nature and realistic painting, Kneffel addresses postmodern counter-nature. On the one hand she gives space to the fragmentary, anti-individual and delocalised and faceless; on the other the painterly ideas of presentation and emotion are addressed and reduced to a minimum.'' (Norbert Massler, Zu den Arbeiten Karin Kneffels oder Wenn man der Natur freien Lauf läßt, arbeitet sie gegen die Gleichheit (P. Getty), in: Karin Kneffel, exhib.cat. Kunstverein Lingen 1994, p. 6).