Lost Horizons: Udo Rein

Udo Rein is a video artist and painter living in Munich. His work examines social and cultural issues worldwide. As Rein points out, our society frequently presents us with a fantasy—polished surfaces and clear structures. This serves as the starting point for Rein, whose pictorial compositions then lead us deep into the back streets and abysses, complicating our worldviews. Looking beyond the fantasy opens up a vision of a multi-faceted, contradictory world that is both erotic and mysterious.

The lavishly illustrated volume is the first monograph on the artist’s impressive oeuvre. Rein’s pictorial language starts with documentary film sequences and builds on fractal constructions and deconstructions which he translates into collages of film stills and oil and acrylic paints on wood panels. This unique collage technique arises from his experience with Pop and Street Art, movements that had a strong influence on Rein’s artistic career. Rein’s works also feel connected to the style of Robert Rauschenberg, Ray Johnson, Richard Hamilton, and Mimmo Rotella.