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1951 Tragwein/Upper Austria – 2003 Vienna
- Title
- untitled (Mauritius, 1997)
- signed
- verso “Mairwöger 97”
- Technique
- oil on Molino fabric
- Measurements
- 41 ¾×30 in
This richly colored work was created during Gottfried Mairwöger’s first painting stay in Mauritius in 1996/1997. Throughout Mairwöger’s entire body of work, extensive travels around the world were among his most important sources of inspiration. The foreign cultures, the unique light, and the diverse colors of distant lands sparked numerous phases of his work and a continuous artistic evolution.
The present painting can be assigned to Mairwöger’s „Indian Yellow“ series. Indian Yellow, a warm saffron yellow, is characteristic of the Indian and South Asian cultural sphere and corresponds in color to the powder of the turmeric root. In Mauritius, with its large Indian population, this color is frequently encountered. The island’s rich flora and fauna in the Indian Ocean also contributed to the vibrant palette of this phase. Palm-lined beaches along the deep blue sea, lush rainforests, tall waterfalls, steep mountain slopes, and volcanic rock all influenced Mairwöger’s color palette during this period.
The extraordinary structure of the paint application, with its small speckled inclusions, is the result of a tropical rain shower. After completing the painting process, Mairwöger placed the still-wet canvas outdoors. While water cannot dissolve oil paint, it can displace it in localized areas. In this way, the tropical rain created a unique surface texture, serving as direct testimony to the journey that was so significant for the work of this renowned color field painter.