Alexander Strohte

The major theme of the Hamburg-based artist Alexander Strohte is the sea: its beauty and specific characteristics, the landscape surrounding it, the emotions associated with it, the human history linked to it, the myths and tales surrounding the sea, but also its threat and destruction by man are the subjects of his abstract seascapes. Formally designed as all-over paintings with a multitude of brushstrokes executed in several layers, the colours used, the type of brushstroke and their arrangement are an expression of the connotations associated with the respective seascapes. The colours, especially the blue and green scale, are of particular importance in this context. Nine different shades of green alone, some of which Strohte mixes with yellow tones, are part of his current palette.

In "Grignano - Miramare", the various shades of blue and green are joined by small splashes of white colour, which are to be understood as reflections of the white limestone architecture of the "Miramare" castle ("Castello di Miramare") near Grignano. The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory in the bay of Grignano, north-west of Trieste, was built by order of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg in the years 1856-60 and owes its name to the imposing location chosen out of love for the sea. The greenery of the park belonging to the palace, with some subtropical plants, appears dark against the white limestone architecture. This impression flows into the colour scheme of the lake, which also accentuates the white reflections of the castle.