Group Material

Thomas Eggerer, a contemporary artist and former member of the New York-based collective Group Material, is known for his evocative approach to figurative painting. Group Material, formed in the 1980s, was an initiative driven by collaboration, focusing on projects that engaged with social communication and political change. Their work often blended magazine ads, found objects from popular culture, and traditional art forms to create a compelling fusion of media and meaning.

Eggerer’s paintings are particularly striking due to his muted, nostalgic colour palette—reminiscent of 1990s film aesthetics. His use of predominantly monochromatic and grey tones creates a relaxed, almost cinematic atmosphere. In his 2015 works, he even titled paintings after their dominant colours, reinforcing the significance of his palette. Eggerer has also cited Philip Guston, an influential figure in contemporary art, as an inspiration—particularly Guston’s use of pink, a colour chosen precisely because it felt “wrong” within traditional artistic norms.

A key characteristic of Eggerer’s paintings is his treatment of the human figure. His compositions often depict people within landscapes or architectural settings, yet their facial features remain blurred and vacant. This deliberate imprecision adds a layer of ambiguity, evoking a sense of anonymity and collective human experience. By stripping individuality from his figures, Eggerer transforms his paintings into archetypal narratives, subtly charged with social and political undertones.

Through his distinct visual language, Eggerer continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, blending abstraction with figuration to explore themes of identity, space, and societal structures. His ability to weave political discourse into his work without overt statements makes him a compelling figure in the evolving landscape of modern artistic expression.

https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/thomas-eggerer