We are proud to invite you to Pierre Knop’s second solo exhibition ‘Silence Before the Storm’ with the gallery. The vibrant and imaginative works of Pierre Knop invite viewers to explore his captivating body of work that juxtaposes idyllic landscapes with an underlying tension. His paintings portray soulful, dreamlike environments where small human figures navigate their daily lives—swimming, hiking, or fishing—while an impending sense of unrest looms in the rich, atmospheric backgrounds.
Influenced by the traditions of Expressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Symbolism, Knop's work recalls the styles of artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Ferdinand Hodler, and Nicolas Poussin, while also acknowledging contemporary luminaries like Jeff Wall and Gregory Crewdson. His landscapes—mountains, forests, and beaches—dominate the canvas, seamlessly merging with their inhabitants, creating a tension that resonates with today’s concerns of environmental degradation and a personal journey toward meaning.
In this age marked by an urgent need for reflection and escapism, Knop’s works evoke both longing and a sense of responsibility. They explore the duality of the human experience: the desire for tranquil spaces amidst the chaos of modern life. While his pictorial worlds initially appear bright and whimsical, they reveal—upon deeper inspection—a more complex and elusive restlessness.
Knop also examines the role of architecture in his landscapes, integrating structures such as alpine residences and cabins amidst his powerful vistas. His ability to weave together narratives filled with humor and menace generates a unique visual language that challenges the viewer’s perception of landscape painting as naïve.
Pierre Knop was born in 1982 in Nancy, France and raised in Germany. He graduated from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 2013 and now lives and works in Cologne, Germany. Selected exhibitions include Museum More, Gorssel; Pilar Corrias, London; Yossi Milo Gallery, New York; CHOI & CHOI, Seoul; Annat Ebgi, Los Angeles; Ruttkowski68, Cologne and Spazio Amanita, New York.
Join us in experiencing Pierre Knop’s evocative landscapes, where the viewer is taken on a playful yet introspective journey, revealing the multilayered narratives that lie beneath the surface of each vibrant tableau.
Kilde:
Gether Contemporary
Gether Contemporary