Gert and Uwe Tobias, Untitled (GUT / 2489), via Art Observed

Artists Gert and Uwe Tobias return to Team Gallery in New York for a show of new drawings and sculpture this month, bringing with them a new variant on their already prolific output of work negotiating the spheres between the folklore of their native Romania, and the context of Western art production that their own work is situated within.   (more…)

Gert & Uwe Tobias. Untitled (2016) via CFA Berlin

Now through June 11, CFA Berlin presents a series of new work from Gert & Uwe Tobias, drawing from a rich tapestry of visual and historical references, including Dutch florals, contemporary painting and medieval art forms, where surrealism meets prehistory. The twin brothers, born in Brasov, Romania and now working in Cologne, center their work in large part on their Romanian heritage, weaving together this legacy with graphic design, and modern abstraction.  Horror and the grotesque are frequent themes of the brothers’ work, revealing an easy linked forged between the hybrid forms found in Surrealism and those featured in myth and legend.   (more…)

Gert and Uwe Tobias, Untitled (2011). All images courtesy of Der Kunstverein.

The entirety of Der Kunstverein is currently inhabited by the dark and fantastical world of brotherly duo Gert and Uwe Tobias. On view until November 18 is their largest installation to date, taking over a total area of 1,300 square meters, spilling from both exhibition areas into the foyer and stairwell. Over time the exhibition will slowly recede to make room for other exhibitions and by the end of the year the work will remain only in the foyer and the stairwell. The Transylvanian born-, Germany-based twin brothers work with a range of forms from works on paper—collages of disjointed figures, eerie watercolors, and drawings created by typewriter strokes—to large scale woodblocks of otherworldly creatures, and abstract assemblage sculptures. Each medium explored is imbued with qualities of the surreal, a dark haze of gloom, and a touch of whimsical humor. Their practice is rooted in the decorative, patterned, and pictorial qualities of Eastern European folk art. Also embedded in their work are allusions to art historical moments such as Constructivism, socialist architecture, and Expressionism.

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Gert and Uwe Tobias, Untitled (2011). All images courtesy of Maureen Paley, London.

The work of Gert and Uwe Tobias is currently on view at Maureen Paley, London. The identical twin brothers collaboratively create large scale woodcuts, mixed-media works, and ceramic sculptures. The artists draw from a multitude of inspirational sources to create pieces that are visually stunning and technically innovative, appearing at the same time both playful and haunting. Decorative patterns, bold colors, and textile qualities are visual characteristics ever present in their abstracted cartoon-like figures, heavily influenced by the Eastern European folk art of their homeland, Transylvania.

Installation View

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