SPÜLBECKEN MIT GESCHIRR (9) | HELENE APPEL

Helene Appel (Karlsruhe, 1976) is an artist whose work is defined by a continuous exploration of the practice of painting. Her consistent approach allows her to focus on objects that are often seemingly mundane: a zipper sewn onto fabric, a roof tile, a transparent sheet, or even a piece of bread, demonstrating extraordinary attention to detail and a profound, meditative capacity for observation.
Appel’s practice centers on the aesthetics of everyday objects, aiming to establish a direct and immediate dialogue with the viewer through her artworks. The sense of familiarity and recognizability of the objects she depicts engages much more than just the sense of sight: by evoking personal memories and habitual domestic gestures, the viewer becomes an active participant in the situations depicted, going far beyond the two-dimensionality of the canvas. This multisensory engagement is reinforced by her choice of formats, always in a 1:1 scale, tailored to the subject of the painting, resulting in a non-serial or predictable variety. The element that elevates her work beyond mere stylistic exercise lies in the juxtaposition of objects and the compositions she creates. Upon closer inspection, these compositions reveal incongruous details, sometimes surrealist in nature, amidst the perfect realism—or hyperrealism—of her painterly execution.

Spülbecken mit Geschirr (9), created in 2024, is part of a series of works centered on the kitchen sink. This incredibly ordinary subject is transformed by the artist into something noble and captivating, starting from the least aesthetically pleasing details: the sink is filled with dirty water, its undefined color tinged with a yellowish hue. Submerged in the liquid, scattered randomly, are even more unremarkable objects: plates, a dirty fork, a glass, and a sponge. The obsessive attention to detail is evident in the crumbs at the bottom of the sink and the soft, deceptively fluffy texture of the foam floating on the surface, which instinctively tempts the viewer to sink their hands into it.
The framing adopts the perspective of someone observing the scene from above, further enhancing the viewer’s sense of identification. The chosen support, raw linen canvas, contributes to creating a highly effective illusionistic effect.
Appel’s ability to play with the viewer’s perception, while maintaining simplicity in her subject matter, gives her artworks a unique style, capable of ennobling and highlighting the charm of repetitive, banal, and stereotypical everyday life.

Helene Appel
Spülbecken mit Geschirr (9), 2024
Acrylic, oil and varnish on linen canvas
49 x 39.5 cm
Courtesy Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle

22/01/25