Bernhard Vogel

Internationally renowned Austrian watercolourist and etcher Bernhard Vogel was born in Salzburg in 1961 and is an artist who has applied a truly unique perspective to watercolour painting. Bernhard shows how a very traditional medium can be used with a fresh and exciting contemporary approach.

Creating paintings that have vibrancy, energy and expressiveness, Bernhard captures not only the pictorial elements of a scene but also the atmosphere and the more psychological aspects of a place. Working ‘plein air’ Bernhard describes how he attunes himself to each subject by finding a spot and allowing the environment such as the noises, smells and light to work on him before picking up his brush. The resultant paintings are fluid with an instinctive feel showing a balance between skilled draughtsmanship and more serendipitous elements through the drips and spatters.

In both Bernhard’s scenic and floral paintings influences such as the Fauvist movement are clear to see in his abstracted use of bold colour to represent light and space. Additionally, Bernhard balances his compositions through drawing upon areas of more intricate detail such as railings or even powerlines.

We feel privileged to be able to regularly present Bernhard’s work here at the Watergate Street Gallery.