Flow of Paint = Flow of Life

The Austrian artist Maria Lassnig (b. Kappel am Krappfeld, 1919; d. Vienna, 2014) and the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (b. Løten, 1863; d. Ekely, Oslo, 1944) were equals in the radical and unsparing scrutiny of their own selves. Each also had a ­singular way of handling paint as a means of their art and powerful medium for expression of emotions like grief, love, loneliness, trepidation, joy, pain, or also for physical levels of perception. The richly illustrated volume accompanies the grand double exhibition of these two exceptional artists' oeuvres. Released on occasion of the exhibitions at Hamburger Kunsthalle and Kunsthaus Zürich, it presents intimate insights into the artists' works, highlighting parallels as well as differences between what are arguably two of the most celebrated oeuvres in more recent art history. With writings by Andreas Eriksson, ­Sandra Gianfreda, Sheela Gowda, Johanna Hornauer, Hans Dieter Huber, Siri Hustvedt, ­Brigitte Kölle, Maria Lassnig, Edvard Munch, Johanna Ortner, Ulrike Ottinger, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Luc Tuymans, and others.  

Brigitte Kölle is a German art historian and curator specializing in contemporary art. She serves as head of contemporary art and co-director of the Galerie der Gegenwart at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, where she oversees the collection and curates major exhibitions. She has led this department since 2012, significantly expanding the museum's holdings of contemporary works and shaping its international profile.