(Feld am See, Carinthia, 1927–1987)
Untitled (from the series “Energiefeld“), 1962, signed and dated Bischoffshausen 62 on the reverse, oil and pvc on canvas, 65 x 100 cm, framed

Provenance:
Galleria Ippolito Simonis, Turin
Private Collection, Italy

In Bischoffshausen’s work, monochromy is a prerequisite for conveying a weakly differentiated structure, since a polychrome image would compete with the relief. [...] Thus, in his Energy Fields, his Spatial Agglomerations and early Apparitions, structure and background work together to form a unity. [...]

The structure is created by various fundamental elements in relief, which, with the white images, cast shadows on the foundation, and with the black ones display rays of light on the ridges, whilst highlights shine on the golden ones. All three types of light effect enhance the visibility of the structure, yet inhibit the precise demarcation of the individual elements, in so far as they are not viewed at close quarters.
This leads to an impression of reduced materiality of the structure. De facto, the repetition of the relief texture in the shadows is immaterial, as are the highlights. The incorporeal portion of the structure is equal to its material portion.
Arnulf Rohsmann, Bischoffshausen, Ritter Verlag, 1991