Ampersand is pleased to present NEO - NOIR, Christoph Ruckhäberle’s second exhibition at the gallery. His new series of pastel on gouache drawings are rooted in his enthusiasm for cinema and passion for collecting original 35mm prints of classic films. The works are loosely based on a mix of reproductions sourced from his collection of film books resulting in what Ruckhäberle considers a strange pop-neo-noir-look, a type of figuration that is markedly new to the artist. His juxtapositions recall the arbitrary imagery issued from a cheap half-frame camera or the calculated but jarring jump cut in a suspense film. Known largely for a body of work that seems entirely drawn from his imagination, Ruckhäberle’s use of photographic sources here creates a new visual experience for his viewers. With no titles to direct us, we are compelled to identify a cast of characters who have been forced together, were always entwined or possibly never even existed.

Christoph Ruckhäberle lives and works in Leipzig, Germany. He studied at CalArts in Valencia, California and Hochschule für Grafik und Buckhunst in Leipzig. In addition to his art practice, he is Publisher at Lubok Verlag, an imprint dedicated to producing original graphic books by contemporary artists. Pattern No. 1, available here, was published by Ampersand Editions to coincide with his Spring, 2015 exhibition at Ampersand. NEO - NOIR runs concurrent with exhibitions of Ruckhäberle’s work at ZieherSmith in New York, NY and Galerie Kleindienst in Leipzig, Germany.

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Untitled, 2016
Pastels on gouache on paper
34 5/8 x 24 3/4 in.
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