Gernot Gleiss, Tom, 2016
, Courtesy of the artist

With the effective use of style elements, accessories and meticulous light and shade design, Gernot Gleiss skilfully emphasises in his portrait series the individual personality of the people he depicts, bringing out the characteristic elements of their essential being, as reflected in the particularity of the moment, and revealing them as fascinating characters quite apart from their celebrity status. The portraits seem to be swathed in mystery, evoking questions about the story behind the outward depiction, be it in the case ofMarkus Lüpertz, who with all the trappings he has acquired as the “prince of painters” arouses our curiosity about his own work, or Tom, whose body art in itself allows us full freedom of interpretation.

— Magdalena Koschat