Beton

Visual Description

Against a heavily textured field of color, a dancer appears in a wide, reaching movement. Her body, worked in black and white, stands in clear contrast to the intense areas of turquoise, yellow, orange and pink. One arm points upward, the other opens sideways into the picture space. The bent leg and the upper body leaning to the left hold the figure in a moment between balance and loss of control.

Horizontal lines run through the impasto ground like the joints of a solid wall. Broken-up layers of paint, visible traces and uneven transitions give the surface an almost physical presence.

Artistic Interpretation

“Beton” brings lightness and resistance together. The dancer seems to move not in front of the massive ground but against it. Her gesture becomes an assertion of freedom within surroundings that radiate solidity, limitation and weight.

The title (German for “concrete”) points to this contrast. Concrete stands for permanence, density and urban hardness. The dancing body, by contrast, embodies mobility, vulnerability and change. Hübner lets both forces collide without resolving the conflict. This is precisely where the work’s tension comes from: the body does not escape the weight, but it resists it.

Art-Historical Context

The work combines contemporary figurative painting with elements of Art Informel and material-based art. The monochrome figure remains clearly legible, while the background is shaped by impasto layers, abrasion, overlapping and gestural applications of paint.

By joining the dance motif with an autonomous field of color, Hübner detaches the figure from any narrative setting.

Movement is not shown as a sequence but becomes tangible in a single, condensed gesture. The rough surface stands in deliberate contrast to the traditional depiction of dance as an expression of grace and weightlessness.

Exclusivity

Matthias Hübner’s signature style shows here in the precise balance between figurative clarity and painterly freedom. The figure remains legible while the space around it exceeds it. Color is not decoration but a carrier of meaning.

“Beton” is a work of great inner tension that resists a single interpretation. Its strength lies in this openness—and in its physically palpable energy.

Collector Value

This work unfolds its effect especially in spaces that allow for openness and movement. Thanks to its portrait format and intense color, it has a strong presence without dominating. In private collections it feels inspiring and sensual; in institutional settings it opens up conversations about perception, the body and resistance.

“Beton” lingers in the room like an afterimage—visible, tangible, lasting.

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.