Farbstrich Anfang

Visual Description

A monochrome figure seen from behind in work clothes, one arm stretched upward. Against a speckled, light surface, the hand sets a strong horizontal red stroke into the depth of the picture. Soft gray tones model the body and shadows; the red impulse cuts clearly and decisively through the calm field.

Artistic Interpretation

“Farbstrich Anfang” (German for “brushstroke: beginning”) stages the first step: gesture, decision, departure. The figure stands for craft and attitude, the red stroke for impulse, courage and direction—a minimalist mark that makes the moment of beginning visible.

Art-Historical Context

A dialogue between New Figuration and a reduced gesture of color, with echoes of Minimalist and color-field strategies as well as urban and street art in the speckles and working gesture. The photographic crop from behind anchors the work in a contemporary, graphically clear visual language.

Exclusivity

A one-of-a-kind work in a compact portrait format: the characteristic black-and-white figure plus a single red accent on a textured ground. The combination of a narrative pose and a precise gesture of color is unmistakably Hübner—instantly recognizable.

Collector Value

A statement piece that reads from a distance and has curatorial clarity—ideal for central walls in galleries, creative spaces and reception areas, and as an entry work into a group of Hübner works (dialogue of monochrome and color, gesture, urban character).

More About the Artist

Matthias Hübner (b. 1976) combines high-contrast black and white with neon/UV color in modern surrealistic realism; people, emotions and open interpretations are at the center, and since 2020 he has been working experimentally again. Early prizes (GDR 1989, Europe 1993) and his selection as a 2025 Teravarna finalist mark his development.

Condition Report

Condition: no visible defects. A detailed condition report is available on request.

Exhibitions

2026: ART.NUMBER23, Rome, Italy