Sunday 8 November 2015

If I was a painter I'd paint you every day


Anyone who knows me will attest that today's subject matter is right up my strasse: Peter Dreher has been painting the same water glass every day for over forty years. The German artist first painted the glass in his studio in 1974. He now has literally thousands of unique life size paintings of the same glass. Always painted in the same location, always from the same perspective. Many are painted during the day, many more at night.


And yet it's not until you see them laid out before you, this entire collection is often exhibited, that you begin to see the subtle differences. It may not age like a human face but the glass is forty years older than when he first painted it. I know, it's a concept I struggle with, but I admire what Dreher has set out to achieve here. I also admire his sheer stubbornness. There must be days when he must think 'Fuck, not that glass again.'

Heaven forbid he should ever drop it.


3 comments:

  1. Nice glass.
    I admire his consistency but, oh, painting-wise it'd be my worst nightmare!

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    1. What isn't clear from the interview with him is how long it takes him each day to paint.

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  2. documenting the mundane!!....I like it.

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