Newsletter Owingen 11.16.2013
September 26th, 2014 - Herdwangen-Schönach, Ge
Painting between realism, symbolism and surrealism. 'Artists are the Conscience of Society'
It was an afternoon for three first-time occasions – it was the first solo exhibition for Gabriele Frey, the first time two of the artist’s grown-up children held the speeches and the first time the Owingen gallery held a private view in the afternoon.
The visitors experienced an impressive event.
Henrik Wengert, Mayor of Owingen, introduced the socially critical and time-critical painting, by explaining one picture in particular. ‘Crocodiles’ are what children in parts of Asia call their abusers and ‘new love’ is the pseudonym for some paedophile organisations. This explains the painting which depicts the prettily shod foot of a little girl that with a flying red skirt seems to be on the run.
Besides child molestation, the pictures show how human beings are transformed and mutilated by the superiority of technology and the coldness of modern systems.
In her speech, Sarah Frey emphasized her mother’s high sense of responsibility and how she dedicates herself to difficult issues with the creative inner urge of an artist. ‘Only because she is naturally a joyful person is she able to face these problems’, Sarah pointed out.
‘She paints us into the future’, is the way Dennis Frey phrased it, and went on to explain that his mother’s work had grown to such an extent, that she had to be urged to exhibit her paintings. There is so much more she wants to draw, so we can now look forward to what else she will create for us from the power of her inner images, to which she so impressively lends shape and colour.
Both children expressed their appreciative pride of their mother’s artistic performance in their own distinct ways.
Gabriele Frey expressed her thanks for the professional and helpful organization and invited the visitors to share their interpretations of her paintings. From the stimulating conversation it was apparent that her artwork was having the desired effect – raising awareness of what causes sufferance to people in the modern day and perhaps giving thought-provoking impulses as to how we can make a stand against this suffering and distress.
text: Gisela Munz-Schmidt