Tim Eitel

Artistic Profile

Style

Technical Approach

Based on photographs Eitel takes himselfUses photorealism techniquesRecently shifted to egg tempera for matte surfaces without glareTraditional painting methods learned at Leipzig AcademyLayered, meticulously composed approachFocus on precise representation while creating abstract spatial relationships

Stylistic Evolution

• Early works (2001-2004): Interior scenes of lone figures in museums, direct references to art history
• Mid-career: Expanded to include architecture and landscape simultaneously
• Recent work (2020s): Increasingly explores neurological aspects of perception, gallery spaces as subject matter, vacant or nearly vacant spaces

Visual Characteristics

Figurative painting with abstract elementsMonochromatic or limited color palettes with strategic use of colorSolitary or small groups of figures in ambiguous, isolated environmentsExploration of depth versus flatnessMuted, industrial colors combined with areas of intense colorFigures often depicted from behind or with faces turned awayArchitectural elements and spatial ambiguityQuietude, melancholy, psychological depth

Evolution

Mid Period 2006 2015

Key Works

Boat (2004)Container (2004)Matratze (2008)Mexican window (2014)

Characteristics

Expansion to include architecture and landscape simultaneously, continued exploration of figure-space relationships, international recognition

Early Period 2000 2005

Key Works

Murakami (2001)Mantel (2002)Rot und Blau (2002)Abend (2003)Schwarzer Sand (2004)

Characteristics

Interior museum scenes, direct art historical references (especially Mondrian), lone figures or small groups, establishing signature style

Mature Period 2016 Present

Key Works

Conversation (2018)Three Attitudes (2018)Split Moon (2023)out where (2023)Loop (2023)

Developments

Teaching position at École des Beaux-Arts de Paris (since 2015), return to New York exhibitions (2023), continued institutional validation

Characteristics

Increased focus on neurological aspects of perception, gallery spaces as subject, shift to egg tempera, greater abstraction and spatial ambiguity, more vacant spaces

Influences

Contextual Influences

Leipzig Academy figurative painting traditionPost-reunification German cultural climateSocialist Realism legacy (transformed through contemporary lens)Contemporary photography and image culture

Historical Influences

Artist	Connection
Caspar David Friedrich	Romantic painter, influence on use of solitary figures and contemplation of space
Gerhard Richter	Contemporary German painter, influence on relationship between painting and photography
Piet Mondrian	Early works directly referenced Mondrian, exploring contradictions within his work
Francis Bacon	1986 Stuttgart retrospective was catalyst for Eitel deciding to become painter at age 15
Edward Hopper	Included in 'Western Motel: Edward Hopper and Contemporary Art' exhibition, shared concerns with isolation and architectural space

Educational Influences

Teacher

Arno Rink

Connection

Master teacher at Leipzig Academy, traditional figurative painting techniques

Peer

Neo Rauch

Connection

Influential peer and senior figure in New Leipzig School

Visual Language

Color Palette

Monochromatic expanses (blacks, grays, whites)Strategic use of saturated color (blues, yellows, reds)Muted, industrial colorsColor as both form and atmosphere

Atmospheric Qualities

Quietude and contemplationMelancholy and introspectionPsychological tensionSense of alienation or strangenessDetachment from reality despite realistic elements

Compositional Strategies

Figures placed in relation to large abstract color fieldsInterplay between depth and flatnessUse of architectural elements to structure spaceFigures often at edges or backs turned to viewerEmpty or nearly empty spacesCareful attention to light and shadow

Themes and Subjects

Thematic Concerns

Perception and vision - what we see versus what our brain constructsRelationship between figures and architectureWays humans interact with art and spacesMemory and constructed realityIsolation and alienation in contemporary lifeTime and temporality - moments suspended without before or afterRelationship between abstraction and representationSpace, light, and spatial perception

Recurring Subjects

Solitary figures in museum settingsPeople viewing artArchitectural interiors and exteriorsLandscapes and urban spacesGallery and museum spacesMoments of introspection and contemplationAmbiguous, staged scenarios

Conceptual Framework

Creates 'fictitious parallel worlds' from experienced realityPaintings are 'analogies to reality' rather than representationsExplores 'the flood of imagery bombarding us every day'Investigates how we decode images versus languageQuestions relationship between photography and painting

Movements and Periods

Movement Context

Third generation of Leipzig School, relates to post-reunification climate of modern Germany. Characterized by combination of figurative and abstract elements, technical skill, and renewed interest in figurative painting.

Primary Movement

New Leipzig School (Neue Leipziger Schule)

Contemporary Relevance

Work continues to be relevant in discussions of contemporary painting, perception, and relationship between abstraction and figuration

Historical Positioning

Part of generation that studied at Leipzig Academy in late 1990s/early 2000s under Arno Rink. Emerged alongside Neo Rauch, Matthias Weischer, David Schnell, Christoph Ruckhäberle as key New Leipzig School figures.

Techniques and Mediums

Scale

Ranges from small intimate works (under 30cm) to large-scale paintings (over 2 meters)

Other Mediums

Egg tempera on canvas (recent works)Oil on linenOil on wood panelLithographsScreenprintsWatercolorWorks on paper

Primary Medium

Oil on canvas

Technical Notes

Uses photography as source materialEmploys reflections and shadows to create 'image within image' effectsRecent works use egg tempera for matte finish to avoid reflectionWorks in series and develops paintings in relation to each other