An encounter with Rodney Graham’s work challenges viewers; the seemingly sprightly, aesthetically pleasing works by the Canadian artist contain numerous references to literature, music, art history and philosophy. Along with Jeff Wall, Stan Douglas, Ian Wallace, Ken Lum and others. Graham (*1949 in Abbotsford, CA) is a representative of the "Vancouver School", which has enjoyed international acclaim since the 1980s. The engagement with conceptual, minimal and performance art, as well as the exploration of European-influenced modernism and its Canadian roots, had a significant influence on the development of their work.
Rodney Graham turned to the fine arts later in his career, and has continually questioned his role as an artist. In addition to photographic works of self-reflection, he has tested himself as a song writer, screenplay author, film maker and actor. "It may be a burden to reinvent oneself again and again, but it makes things more interesting," he once said in an interview. The retrospective exhibition at the Sammlung Goetz includes nearly 45 works from 1977 to 2012 in the mediums of photography, film, installation, sculpture and painting and provides a comprehensive insight into his oeuvre while illustrating its links to literature and music.