Hubert Schmalix

During the confrontational 1980s, a period when young artists around the globe began to fervently revive painting, Hubert Schmalix emerged at the forefront of this vibrant resurgence. Characterized by an expressive blend of poetry, storytelling, eruptive emotion, and subjective experience, these artists, labeled "Junge Wilde," gave rise to what was known internationally as "New Painting," "Transavanguardia," or "Bad Painting." For Schmalix, dedicating himself to arguably art’s most traditional medium in this provocative era had a distinctly subversive quality.Mass media, cinema, pop music, fashion, and art history formed the eclectic reservoir from which youthful passion drew its strength. In this pivotal historical moment, painting became a bridge, linking its storied past to an emergent digital image explosion—effectively connecting history with a futuristic vision. Experiencing the future as it unfolds from the past within the present creates a conceptual paradox, a compelling interplay between representation and abstraction. Schmalix’s nudes frequently inhabit monochromatic color fields, transforming abstraction into narratives. Familiar imagery emerges—nudes, Christ figures, a house, a landscape—each appearing familiar to us as though borrowed from other visual contexts.

To this day, Schmalix’s paintings exude a remarkable ease and cool detachment that simultaneously provoke subtle unease. The figures he portrays often seem uncertain, questioning their belonging or whether their surroundings truly match them, as if pictorial elements possess an inherent self-awareness. Echoing philosopher Jean-François Lyotard: "It should finally be clear to us that our role is not to deliver reality, but rather to invent allusions to conceivable thoughts that cannot be directly depicted." Schmalix's pictorial elements are unmistakably clear—a tree is undeniably a tree; the nude woman standing awkwardly next to a ladder is unambiguously visible. Yet this clarity is deceptive, with a hidden narrative quietly unsettling us, prompting contemplation: What story lies behind the restrained woman and the ladder beside her? Sexual undertones in Schmalix's work remain neutral, dispassionate, ordinary, and devoid of sinful awareness—they are simply images.

David Hockney, by contrast, envisioned a sensual paradise he believed he'd discovered in California. Schmalix’s vision is more tempered, more detached. His vividly colored landscapes—featuring blue trees, purple skies, and orange rivers—may appear idyllic, yet they do not represent Arcadia.

Walt Disney offered millions of children a paradise; Schmalix subtly references the atmosphere of comics, blending elements reminiscent of Art Deco and Jugendstil into his paintings.

Yet, the mood within these vibrant canvases can shift unexpectedly, engaging the viewer's visual consciousness. As we now understand, even pollution can give rivers appealing colors. Thus, Schmalix’s landscapes are not paradisiacal realms we wish to inhabit, but evocative visions, shaped by longing.

The Mediterranean-born European artist found in California an ideal environment, vibrant under the gleaming Pacific sunlight. The same might be said about the artworks he produced during his time in Los Angeles.

These paintings convey a relaxed emptiness paired with enigmatic, subtly emerging narratives. Themes of belonging and isolation, abundance and emptiness intertwine, sometimes subtly reflected in the gazes of his depicted figures. Schmalix’s use of flat color planes echoes the aesthetic of screen-printing, balancing glamorous pop appeal with the functional simplicity reminiscent of sign painting.

Hubert Schmalix paints with the profound awareness that painting has existed long before his time. Yet, rather than abandoning the medium due to conceptual considerations, he passionately embraces painting precisely because of this rich historical consciousness.

For Schmalix, dedicating himself to arguably art’s most traditional medium in this provocative era had a distinctly subversive quality.Mass media, cinema, pop music, fashion, and art history formed the eclectic reservoir from which youthful passion drew its strength. In this pivotal historical moment, painting became a bridge, linking its storied past to an emergent digital image explosion—effectively connecting history with a futuristic vision. Experiencing the future as it unfolds from the past within the present creates a conceptual paradox, a compelling interplay between representation and abstraction. Schmalix’s nudes frequently inhabit monochromatic color fields, transforming abstraction into narratives. 

Familiar imagery emerges—nudes, Christ figures, a house, a landscape—each appearing familiar to us as though borrowed from other visual contexts.

To this day, Schmalix’s paintings exude a remarkable ease and cool detachment that simultaneously provoke subtle unease. The figures he portrays often seem uncertain, questioning their belonging or whether their surroundings truly match them, as if pictorial elements possess an inherent self-awareness. Echoing philosopher Jean-François Lyotard: "It should finally be clear to us that our role is not to deliver reality, but rather to invent allusions to conceivable thoughts that cannot be directly depicted." Schmalix's pictorial elements are unmistakably clear—a tree is undeniably a tree; the nude woman standing awkwardly next to a ladder is unambiguously visible. Yet this clarity is deceptive, with a hidden narrative quietly unsettling us, prompting contemplation: What story lies behind the restrained woman and the ladder beside her?

Sexual undertones in Schmalix's work remain neutral, dispassionate, ordinary, and devoid of sinful awareness—they are simply images.

David Hockney, by contrast, envisioned a sensual paradise he believed he'd discovered in California. Schmalix’s vision is more tempered, more detached. His vividly colored landscapes—featuring blue trees, purple skies, and orange rivers—may appear idyllic, yet they do not represent Arcadia.

Walt Disney offered millions of children a paradise; Schmalix subtly references the atmosphere of comics, blending elements reminiscent of Art Deco and Jugendstil into his paintings.

Yet, the mood within these vibrant canvases can shift unexpectedly, engaging the viewer's visual consciousness. As we now understand, even pollution can give rivers appealing colors. Thus, Schmalix’s landscapes are not paradisiacal realms we wish to inhabit, but evocative visions, shaped by longing.

The Mediterranean-born European artist found in California an ideal environment, vibrant under the gleaming Pacific sunlight. The same might be said about the artworks he produced during his time in Los Angeles.

These paintings convey a relaxed emptiness paired with enigmatic, subtly emerging narratives. Themes of belonging and isolation, abundance and emptiness intertwine, sometimes subtly reflected in the gazes of his depicted figures. Schmalix’s use of flat color planes echoes the aesthetic of screen-printing, balancing glamorous pop appeal with the functional simplicity reminiscent of sign painting.

Hubert Schmalix paints with the profound awareness that painting has existed long before his time. Yet, rather than abandoning the medium due to conceptual considerations, he passionately embraces painting precisely because of this rich historical consciousness.