Artwork
Pulfer, Reto - Malerei, Liegengelassenheit
Pulfer, Reto - Malerei, Liegengelassenheit is an unspecified painting by Reto Pulfer. It dates from 2016 and is held in the collection of the Archaeology and Museum Baselland.
About this work
Overview
A thin blue stitch runs along the upper edge, while a handful of loosely applied pigment blobs and faint penciled lines interrupt the otherwise uniform field.
Reto Pulfer’s 2016 work titled “Malerei, Liegengelassenheit” is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The piece presents a rectangular field resembling a stretched piece of aged fabric, its surface rendered in a muted beige tone. A thin blue stitch runs along the upper edge, while a handful of loosely applied pigment blobs and faint penciled lines interrupt the otherwise uniform field.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork foregrounds the notion of abandonment, suggested by the title’s reference to “lying‑still.” By treating a commonplace material—fabric—as a visual plane, Pulfer invites viewers to contemplate the boundary between ordinary objects and their elevation to artistic concern, emphasizing the quiet presence of neglected or forgotten surfaces.
Technique & Style
Pulfer employs a mixed‑media approach: the base resembles a textile rendered with a smooth, lightly textured paint that imitates worn cloth. Over this, he applies small, irregular dabs of yellow, red and blue paint, applied with a careless, almost accidental gesture. Subtle pencil marks and greenish linear gestures traverse the centre, creating a contrast between deliberate sketching and spontaneous pigment application.
History & Provenance
Created in 2016, “Malerei, Liegengelassenheit” entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings shortly after its completion. The institution, known for its focus on cultural artifacts, acquired the work as part of its contemporary acquisitions program, positioning the piece within a broader dialogue between ethnographic objects and modern artistic practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
Reto Pulfer’s paintings mix geometric shapes with bold colors in a way that feels both orderly and playful.
