Herbert Maier’s oeuvre is determined by his work in continuous series. Within the individual series of works, he develops different aspects that can be traced back to architectural or natural foundations. Thus, the paintings from “Naturzeit-Gebautezeit” refer to completely abstract structures that originate from a microscopic view of naturally grown structures and are equally based on man-made constructions such as masonry. Maier extends the latter reference in the series “from Mexico”. When looking at these works, one is initially confronted with abstract painting, which, after a longer viewing time, leaves two-dimensionality behind, as individual blocks in the picture surface optically develop in depth or open up the picture space into the viewer’s space. If one also considers the title of the series of works, it becomes clear that Maier drew far-reaching inspiration from the wall and staircase structures of the rich culture of this country, which date back thousands of years. A comparable interaction between human and natural artifacts is created in the “Window Paintings”. Not a view through a window, but a view out of the window is thematized here, abstracted and translated into a painterly vocabulary of forms that is multifaceted for Maier. The thematic idea of the view in or out is continued formally in the paintings of the “Scheibenraumkörper” series. Initially, the viewer’s gaze falls on a circular disk, which soon opens up so far into the depths that a further space appears to emerge. If we reflect on Maier’s motif, which is always real, the pictorial idea of the disc space bodies becomes evident as the brilliant view into a dome. The logical consequence of these works are the “Raumschnitt/Gewölbe” works, which extend the classic dome to include views of filigree Gothic vaults or richly decorated barrel vaults. Maier succeeds in harmonizing the almost baroque abundance of his motifs with the clear structures of abstraction, thus creating paintings that offer an opulence of the few, an abundance in the most reduced structures.


completely framed in a white glazed shadow gap frame