Sophie Gogl

My name is Sophie Gogl, I was born 1992 in Tyrol, which is the alpine part of Austria, I studied painting at the University of applied Arts in Vienna and graduated 2017 the class of Judith Eisler. Currently I am living and working in Tyrol and Vienna. Since 2017 I am represented by the gallery Zeller van Almsick in Vienna and had one solo show with them as well as several group shows. My work revolves around drawings an/or painted materials but often the original ideas lead to installations, which combine different media.

„If Europa had a mermaid tail - Zeus would have never been able to kidnap her“

In general I would describe my work as multifaceted but somehow still congruous. I like to explore new thoughts through my work. I mainly paint, but try to loosen it up a little, so the last exhibition also had clay figurines and metal frameworks. I find motives, symbols and transform them into new artworks by creating new references. After the general swing to the right, I am also interested in doing rather readable art, for a broader audience. Because I don´t think that an animating discourse should only be made for an intellectual elite. This special time asks for a very direct art. The working title „If Europa had a mermaid tail - Zeus would have never been able to kidnap her“ includes a group of work (painting, sculpture). If Zeus never had kidnapped Europa the present as it is now would be different, so it is practically an abstract outcome. The group of work includes a mermaid tail torso sculpture, which combines written word, sculpture and painting.
The fish or as you will mermaid scales offer a lot of space to fill. It is like small individual canvasses being combined into one object. This would be an example for my general interest in assembling a lot of different pieces and form a symbiosis. It was Zeus who kidnapped Europa and by doing so, he formed the continent, and since then there was Europe as a continent in historiography. It symbolizes the very beginning, the very start of something seemingly immortal. It is also very interesting, that the history of our continent is based on an abduction of a woman, which is very violent and cruel. But then again the torso also could be read as “the one who got away”.

www.zellervanalmsick.com/sophiegogl/

UKYA PROJECTS:

UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 2019