Whilst Götz’s practice ranges in scale from site–specific wall paintings and room–sized spatial installations to paintings and drawings, there is a clear coherence and dialogue across his body of work through its continual referencing and engagement with ideas about architecture and space and its characteristic use of abstract geometric forms, fields and lines of intense colour, juxtaposed with one another. His work is informed by real factors of circumstance, site, architecture or the particular inhabitants or histories of a building, space or place, but mixes these factors with further imaginary or fantasy ones. Similarly many of his drawings represent the floor plans of idealized dwellings, sometimes for specific people or historical figures, sometimes for imagined ones. Together they form part of an ongoing series exploring spatial ideas for domestic spaces: apartments, houses, bungalows, villas. Colour in these drawings is used to denote the functions and atmospheres of rooms, or the situations and qualities of the surrounding landscape – whether a schloß set in a meadow or a bungalow overlooking the sea. It also cues off the identity of the person who is thought to live there, in a web of imaginative factors that continually feed into the geometrical arrangement of forms and the colour decisions for each drawing. Götz sees colour as both beautiful and a key aspect of life that surrounds us, drawing comparison with other passions of his: gardens and flowers, and Nymphenburg porcelain. Whilst Götz often references the creation of a garden or the making of a work of architecture in his work, he sees his practice as opposite in process to that of architectural design, which concretizes ideas and designs as built form, connecting it rather to the Classical idea of art as active fantasy – something practiced as part of a personal strategy to escape from reality. Götz completed an MA at the Royal College of Art after studying in Germany at Aachen, Düsseldorf and Wuppertal. He currently lives and works in London and is Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland.
Exhibitions
Selected exhibitions Holden Gallery MMU, Manchester, UK 2021 “Pool” www.holdengallery.mmu.ac.uk
Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne, UK 2019/21 “Dance Diagonal” www.townereastbourne.org.uk
Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds, UK 2017 “Staircase Commission” with the support of The Art Fund, Art Happens.
The Collection, Lincoln, UK 2016 “Lothar Götz/Duncan Grant: Russel Chantry”
CV
Lothar Götz
* 1963 in Günzburg, DE lives and works in London, UK 1996-98 Royal College of Art London, MA Painting 1993-95 Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, DE 1991-95 Universität Wuppertal, MA Aesthetics, DE 1983-88 Fachhochschule Aachen, BA Visual Communication, DE 1998 visiting lecturer at Royal College of Art, London; Wimbledon College, London / Byam Shaw school, London, University of Newcastle, Ruskin School Oxford / Glasgow School of Art 1999-2001 ecturer in fine art at university of Sunderland, UK 2001 (ongoing) Associate Professor of Fine Art at university of Sunderland, UK
Fellowships/Awards/Residencies
2010 Abby Fellowship London, The British School at Rome, IT 2006 Cocheme Fellowship, Central Saint Martins/Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK 2004 London Arts Board Award 1997-98 DAAD Award for London 1997 John Crane Travel Award for the USA Excha Schuler Foundation Grant
Solo Exhibitions (selection)
2025 Mucciaccia gallery, London (forthcoming in April) 2023 Volcano, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE; The Four Seasons, domobaal, London, UK 2021 Pool, Holden Gallery, Manchester Meropolitan University, Manchester, UK In Private, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2020 Domobaal, London, UK 2019 Towner Art Gallery, exterior Wallpainting, Eastbourne, UK Back To The Future, Overbeck Gsellschaft, Lübeck, DE If Only, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2018 Götzbau (with David Gates), Bradfield, Essex, UK adhoc Raum, Bochum, DE David Risley Gallery, Kopenhagen, DK 2017 Leeds City Art Gallery, staircase commission, with the support of The Art Fund, Art Happens, UK Lothar Götz, Market Art Fair 2017, Färgfabriken, Stockholm, Sweden 2016 Threesome, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Pas De Trois, Domobaal London, UK Staircase, site–specific wallpainting for the 10th anniversaire of Pallant House Gallery’s contemporary wing, Chichester, UK Lothar Götz/Duncan Grant: The Russell Chantry, The Collection, Lincoln, UK 2015 Concrete Fantasies, Abstraction, Mewo-Kunsthalle, Memmingen, DE Mirror Image in collaboration with Hole Editions, domobaal, London, UK Dickens Room at The House of St. Barnabas, in collaboration with Hole Editions and Coriander Studio, The House of St. Barnabas, London, UK 2014 Project 07, Contemporary Art Society, London, UK Soho Room, House of St Barnabas, London, UK Platform A, Middlesbrough, UK Conversations With The Devil, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2013 Double-Take, MAC, Belfast, IR Retreat, Neuer Kunstverein Wuppertal, DE Exhibition at Sparkasse Wuppertal, DE 2012 The Line Of Beauty, Domobaal, London, UK Black, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Crash Stufen zur Kunst, Stiftung Niedersachsen / Kunstverein Hannover / Hannover, DE Don`t Look Now, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg, DE Wait Until Dark, Chapter, Cardiff, UK 2011 Mulholland- Drive, Rahncontemporary, Zürich, CH Don`t Look Now, Galerie der Stadt Remscheid, DE Don`t Look Now, Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, DE (Catalogue) Tatort, Gallery Primo Alonso, London, UK 2010 La Réve, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Bochum, DE 2009 Driven By Emotion – Olle Baertling’s Proposal For TV Tower And Parliamens Building, Revisited, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2008 Mit Fritz Im Beton, Rahn Contemporary, Zürich CH 2007 SITEGalerie, Düsseldorf DE 2006 All Day Long, Platform for Art/London Underground, London UK 1952, SITEGalerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2005 Schloß Abstrakt, MMKI, Düsseldorf, DE Rutting Season, Theatre Royal, Nanling, CND 2004 Häuser Für Tollmi, Museum Goch, Goch, DE 2003 Schloß Schachen, The Economist, London UK Städtisches Museum Leverkusen/Schloss Morsbroich, DE 2002 Forever Young, Chisenhale Gallery, London UK Gasworks Gallery, London UK Tea Time, Künstlerverein Malkasten e.V.,Düsseldorf, DE Interfoodvitrine, Mehrwert e.V., Aachen, DE 2000 One Day In A Painting’s Life. First Stop, Dilston Grove, London, UK Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, UK. Wet Paint– Unten Wie Oben, Kunstverein Recklinghausen, DE Changing Rooms – Farbe Auf Der Wand, Städtisches Museum,Leverkusen / Schloß Morsbroich, DE
Group Exhibitions (selection)
2024 Contemporary British Painting Prize 2002, Cardiff and touring, UK; Legacy with Emma Bennett and Loucey Bain, Platform A Gallery, Middlesbrough, UK; Von Anfang An (from the beginning) Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2023 A Curator’s Cabinet, curated by Emma Hill, the Eagle Gallery, London, UK; Royal Academy Summer Show, London, UK 2022 The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Hospital Rooms, exhibition and auction, Hauser & Wirth London, UK Insight 26, Yoshimi Arts, Osaka, Japan 2021 Masterpieces in Miniature: The 2021 Model Art Gallery, Pallant House, Chichester, UK Colourspace, Muchiaccia, Rome, IT 2020 Night Train –Eine Reise, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE 2019 Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, UK Porte De Coleure, The Line London, curated by Artwise, London UK Drawing Biennial, Drawing Room, London, UK 2018 The Cure 3, Bonhams, London, UK Fully Awake, Royal College of Art, London, UK The Momentum, curated by Patrick Morrissey and Hanz Hancock of Saturation Point, Angus–Hughes Gallery, London, UK Relative Trajectories, curated by Patrick Morrissey and Hanz Hancock of Saturation Point, Angus–Hughes Gallery, London, UK Drawing/Collage, with Keigo Kamide, Yugo Kohrogi, Lothar Götz, Minako Nishiyama, Haruko Sasakawa, Yoshimi Arts, Osaka, JP In Line, curated by Saturation Point, Griffin Gallery, London, UK Some Islands, curated by Andrew Bick and Clare Goodwin, Coleman Projects, London, UK 2017 Seurat To Riley, The Art of Perception, curated by Penelope Sexton, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK Enter Stage Left curated by Chris Clarke and Fiona Kearney at The Glucksman Gallery, UCC, Cork, Ireland 2016 Drama Queen, with Michael Sailstorfer, Heike Weber, Roland Schappert, Christian Jendreiko and others, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, DE Morgen. Tomorrow, Neue Kunst in Alten Gärten e.V., in den Parks von Ober-u. Untergut, Gehrden-Lenthe, DE Mechanical Abstract, Lothar Götz, Jonathan Parsons, DJ Simpson, Neil Zakiewicz, curated by Neil Zakiewicz, Turps Gallery, London, UK Colouring The EdgeE, 3812 Gallery, Hong Kong, China Setzen, Stellen, Legen, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, DE Heimatplan, Galerie Grölle pass:projects, Wuppertal, DE Zeichnungsräume, Kunsthalle Hamburg, DE In Neuen Räumen, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Farfetch, The Bower, Old Street, London, UK 2015 The London Open Triennial 2015, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK Imaging A University: The University of Warwick Art Collection, Warwick, UK From Centre, curated by Slate Projects and Saturation Point, London, UK Kaleidoscope Contemporary Art Society Annual Fundraiser 24.03.15 Old Billingsgate, London, UK Drawing Biennial 2015, Drawing Room, London, Southbank Centre, London, UK 2014 Kunst at McKinsey and Company, Düsseldorf, DE Abstract Drawing, curated by Richard Deacon, Drawing Room London, UK Salon Der Gegenwart 14 Große Bleichen, Hamburg, DE Art In The HomeE #2 York, by invitation from the Contemporary Art Society North. Have A Dream, Within What Love Is, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Festival of Love, Southbank Centre, London, UK Happy Together, The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, Festival of Love, Southbank Centre, London, UK 2013 Workplace Gallery, Gateshead, UK William Hunt, Lothar Götz, Viktoria Wehrmeister, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Visionen, Martha Herford, Herford, DE Poster Art, London Transport Museum, London, UK 2012 Chromazone: Colour In Contemporary Architecture, V&A Architecture, Room 128a, London, UK Roma III, Abbey Fellows and Scholars resident at the British School at Rome, IT 2008–11, APT Gallery, Deptford, London, UK Leap! Contemporary Art Society Gala Benefit, London , UK Back And Forth, 8 artists from London, B55 Gallery, Hungary 2011 Cross Check, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Actual Fact / Factual Fact, Markus Amm, Lothar Götz, Joachim Grommek, Märkisches Museum, Witten, DE Drawing 2011, Drawing Room, London, UK Cult Of The Difficult, Cass Gallery, London, UK Jerwood Drawing Prize, Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, UK/ DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery UK 2010 Der Kern Des Ganzen, Petra Rinck Galerie, Düsseldorf, DE Re-Make/Re-ModelL, National Glass Center, Sunderland, UK Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwoodspace, London, UK Nice Work, The British School of Rome, Rome, IT Optical Shift – Illusion Und Täuschung, b-05 Kunst- u Kulturzentrum Montabaur, Montabaur, DE Mit Fritz Im Beton, Rahn Contemporary, Zürich, CH Murals, Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona ES 2009 We´re Moving, 10 years RCA Painting alumni, Royal College of Art, London UK Privat – Wuppertaler Sammler der Gegenwart, Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal, DE Wildwuchs, Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover, DE Coalesce: Happenstance, SMART Project Space, Amsterdam NL Art In The Underground, A Foundation Gallery, London UK 2008 Experimental Intro, Petra Rinck Galerie Düsseldorf, DE 1968-Modernistische Architektur Im Spiegel Aktueller Kunst, Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, DE Prag Biennale, Prag CZ 2007 Language Of Vision, MIMA Middlesbrough, UK Glow 07, Newcastle Gateshead, UK Snap, Cell Project Space, London UK Idylle, DA2 Domus Artium, Salamanca, ES 2006 Idylle, Phoenix Hallen/ Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg, DE 2005 Föhn, Chelsea space, London UK Ninteenthirtysix, Pullman Court, London UK Lalaland, Project Gallery, Dublin UK Coalesce The Remix, redux, London UK Colors And Trips, Künstlerhaus Palais Thurn und Taxis, Bregenz, DE 2004 Obstractivist, Hales Gallery, London, UK K3 Project Space, Zürich, CH Alterity Display, Lawrence OHana Gallery, London, UK 2003 The Bold & The Beautiful, RMIT Project Space, Melbourne, AU Colors And Trips, Jacky Strenz Galerie, Berlin, DE 2002 Further-Up In The Air, The Independent, Liverpool Biennial,Liverpool, UK Superfluidity, Makslas Akademija, Riga, IS Tmesis Gallery, Manchester, UK 2001 Zwemmer Gallery, London, UK
Site Specific Works and Murals
2022 Three Projects for LGBTQ+ Pride 2022 in London: Jump (Reuters Steps), Upbeat (Riverside Steps), Electro–Rainbow (Elizabeth Line Station) Canary Wharf, June 2022, Colour Rush, VirtrA Showroom, Turnmills, London, for Clerkenwell Design Week, 2022, Three Projects commissioned by Meadow Arts in collaboration with Stronger Towns Fund, for Hereford College of Arts, Hereford, UK 2021 Holden Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, 2020–2021 SALVATION, domobaal. (part of a solo exhibition), 2019–2024 Dance Diagonal, Towner, Eastbourne, UK (Brewers Commission Award), 2017 Xanadu, Leeds City Art Gallery, staircase commission, supported by The Art Fund, Art Happens (publication), Salsa, Hope Street Xchange, Centre for Innovation and Enterprise, Sunderland, UK, 2016 Composition for a Staircase, commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of Pallant House Gallery’s contemporary wing in the stairwell of the new wing, Chichester, UK, supported by The Abbey Harris Mural Fund, 2015 Connection, The London Open, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK 2002 Forever Young, Chisenhale Gallery, London,UK
Publications
2017 Lothar Götz – Staircases, introduction by Sarah Brown, text by Bazon Brock, bi -lingual, published by domobaal editions in association with Leeds Art Gallery 2016 The Russel Chantry, Lothar Götz/ Duncan Grant, The Collection, Lincoln, UK Zeichnungsräume, Kunsthalle Hamburg (group) 2015 Monograph published by Ridinghouse, London, with a text by Charles Darwent, Bi-lingual 2011 Lothar Götz Works – 2011, monograph for solo exhibitions at Galerie der Stadt Remscheid, Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg, Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz 2010 Optical Shift, Illusion und Täuschung, exhibition catalogue published by Kunst und Kulturzentrum, Montabaur, Düsseldorf, DE 2004 Lothar Götz: Häuser für Tollmi, monograph, exhibition catalogue, published by Museum Goch, edited by Erik Schönenberg, Kleve
Public and Private Collections
Collection and Usher Museum, Lincoln UK, Mead Gallery, Warwickshire UK, Government Art Collection, UK, Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, DE, Sammlung Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, DE, Sammlung der Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf im Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, DE
News
Art Düsseldorf with Lothar Götz, Jörn Stoya, Line Lyhne, Albrecht Schäfer 07.-10.04.2022