Isa Genzken’s MLR (More Light Research) paintings are inspired by the work of 19th c. abstract artist Hilda of Klimt. Borrowing spatial and composition devices from Klimt, Genzken couches these associations within her own research of architectural form and social negotiation. Through this layering of reference, Genzken engages with ideas of modernity, feminine identity, and emotional loss.

Created from layers of lacquer stencilled over traditional canvas, Genzken’s MLR series conveys an industrial authoritarianism; the corrosive hues, laminated surfaces, and photo negative aesthetics lend a sense of historical power and import. Abstractly depicting acrobatic equipment in various states of motion, each of Genzken’s canvases is absent of figurative presence: this frozen moment of the gymnast’s release contains layered allegories of personal and ideological collapse.

This discord between the intimate and the systematic is heightened throughout Genzken’s MLR paintings. The mesh-like texture found in each image evokes connotations to the pixilation of print media, as well more threatening implications of wire fencing or chain mail. The generic repetition of the ring and chain motif paradoxically offers both ideas of freedom of movement and torturous restraint. Through these dichotomies, Genzken explores the impact of social construction on the individual. The sense of isolation, oppression, and grief within each MLR painting becomes emblematic of the human condition.