2008-2019

Aesthetic mutations as painterly world designs. The protagonists in Stefanie Gutheil's paintings are her personal monsters. They appear in the form of beings with shame masks, hungry crocodile-dinosaurs, cats, flayed bodies, residents of sex clubs, worm-infested hybrids of human and animal, or sympathetic phallus hordes. Her spatial compositions often resemble surreal mobiles or tower constructions, where the often genderless figures become Gutheil's alter egos. She paints her demons in a craft-like manner with rough brush strokes and elevated oil paint surfaces, drawing references to the works of Picasso, Philip Guston, or Hieronymus Bosch. Alongside the political dimension of queer emancipation, Gutheil invites us into childlike fantasy worlds that she skillfully contrasts with the dry seriousness of heteronormative life designs. This extensive monograph documents her working methods for the first time and her humorous engagement with the demons of our time, showcasing works from the years 2008.