Untitled

Executed in 2006, Anselm Reyle's psychedelic neon installation Untitled is a bold example of the German artist's provocative practice. Composed of more than a hundred fluorescent tubes, Untitled is colossal in scale and ambitious in its complexity. While Reyle is well known for his use of unusual materials and physical alterations, his work is grounded in art historical schools of abstraction dating from Cubism to Op-Art, Minimalism to Pop Art. Fascinated by high gloss effects and decorative materials, Reyle's multi-media work is in constant dialogue with the role of modernism today. In Untitled, the kaleidoscopic effect of clashing colours and the pulsating light resonating from the neon tubes create a mesmerising 'light drawing' suspended in air. Beyond the superficial glamour of Reyle's bright colours and surfaces, however, is an underlying urban industrial decay and environmental issues. The shimmering assemblage in Untitled conveys a deep sense of entropy alluding to a toxic wasteland that is our world today.