dépendance is pleased to announce your clouds your hair your laketown, the fourth solo exhibition of Josef Strau at the gallery.
Strau is known for his evocative, dream-like explorations of urban landscapes and metaphysical themes. This exhibition, curated with text contributions from Katharina Hölzl, brings Strau’s surreal reflections on clouds, memories, and transformations to the forefront, exploring the interplay of art, reality, and metaphor.
Josef Strau’s work is a unique fusion of auto-fictional narrative and a meticulous approach to materiality, presenting a space where text and object are inextricably entwined. His installations transform the gallery into a site where text is not simply observed but experienced, extending beyond literary boundaries to become a physical presence.
The exhibition delves into the layering of cloud techniques, drawing parallels between their ephemeral nature and the act of creation itself. Strau presents “clouds of the day” as dynamic subjects, painted in shifting detail that zooms between expansive panoramas and intimate abstractions. These paintings — described as “cloud capriccios” — reimagine the 18th-century capriccio style, where disparate landscapes or architectural elements were fantastically collaged into harmonious compositions. This technique enables Strau to expand beyond mere depiction, creating imaginative renderings that speak to both personal and collective consciousness. The result is a whimsical yet profound commentary on the transient beauty of both clouds and human creativity.
Drawing on the alchemical transformation of materials like melted tin into “magnetic splatters,” the works evoke a sense of ruin and renewal. These cloudscapes transcend mere representation, offering reflections on change and the inevitability of entropy while celebrating the beauty of the present moment. Like Robert Ryman’s white paintings or Agnes Martin’s grids, what initially appears as an austere simplicity gives way to a nuanced engagement with materials.
“Clouds pass by like letters without a sender, without a receiver, without a message,” writes Katharina Hölzl. “Yet, they arrive with infinite possibilities, speaking a sponge-like language that absorbs and releases meaning.”
Josef Strau lives and works in Vienna. He had solo exhibitions at Secession, Vienna; Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf; The Renaissance Society, Chicago and MUDAM, Luxembourg among others. His work was included in group exhibitions at Kunsthalle Bern; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, the Liverpool Biennial and the Busan Biennale. His work is part of the collections of Centre Pompidou, Paris; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; mumok, Vienna; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe.