The Practice of Appropriation and Repetition
Michael Riedel is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Frankfurt. His artistic practice operates at the interface between free art and applied graphics. A significant portion of his work involves the use of appropriation and repetition, where he returns to existing things to create a second image of them. This process often involves the use of text as a graphic element, where source texts from websites or other media are treated as material for painterly surfaces. His work explores the relationship between an artwork and its description, often utilizing the mediation media of an exhibition—such as posters, flyers, and catalogues—to produce variations of the original material.
Riedel's output includes a vast amount of text and sound production. Between 1997 and 2007, he produced sound recordings totaling 86,000 minutes, capturing linguistic moments and transforming them into writing. His paintings include the Poster und PowerPoint Paintings, which utilize screenshots of cross-fades from Microsoft PowerPoint. His practice also extends to the design of books, brochures, and invitations, as well as the creation of large-scale canvases and permanent installations.
Exhibitions and Academic Role
Riedel's work has been exhibited in numerous international venues, including:
In addition to his studio practice, Riedel has served as a professor of painting and graphics at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig since 2017. His career includes the initiation of the art space Oskar-von-Miller Strasse 16 in Frankfurt am Main, which functioned as a site for various events and a culinary meeting point known as the Freitagsküche.
Questions & Answers
In which movements did Michael Riedel work?
Michael Riedel's works can be browsed by movement on the artist's All Movements page.
How do I find works by Michael Riedel in a specific palette?
Michael Riedel's works can be browsed by color palette on the artist's By Palettes page.
What colors did Michael Riedel use most often?
Michael Riedel's use of color across the works listed on this website can be studied on the artist's Palette Genome page.
Where is Michael Riedel from?
Michael Riedel was born in Germany.
