The Museum Penzberg - Sammlung Campendonk presents the exhibition featuring over 60 works by American painter Austin Eddy, showcasing his artistic language that straddles the line between figurative and abstract. The pieces range from life-size to postcard formats and are created using a diverse array of mediums including oil pastel, watercolor, drawing, collage, and sculpture. Eddy's artwork, depicting birds, fish, flowers, trees, and structures, captivates with its poetic forms.

There exists a century of artistic avant-garde evolution between the works of Heinrich Campendonk (1889-1957) and Austin Eddy, born in 1986 in Boston. Currently, Eddy's works are on display in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. His still lifes pulsate with physical and psychological dynamism, with birds in freefall and fish in companionship serving as metaphors for the human quest for freedom, stability, and structure. Through the use of lines, points, texture, and color, Eddy articulates universal symbols for fundamental emotions, all without portraying human figures. His visual language occasionally resonates with Heinrich Campendonk's work, reinterpreted in a contemporary vocabulary.

Emphasizing the longing for lost harmony between humanity and nature, as articulated by the Blaue Reiter movement, the exhibition creates an engaging dialogue with the permanent collection of Campendonk's works, revealing astonishing parallels between the two artists. Their artistic practices are enriched by complementary contrasts in color and format, as well as influences from folk art and craftsmanship.

Eddy's art explores human existence within society, the relationship with nature, and the pursuit of unity and harmony during times of great unrest. The connection to Heinrich Campendonk and the intellectual legacy of early 20th-century European avant-garde art is rooted in collective memory. The relevance of these themes, alongside Eddy's expressive color palettes, forms a coherent cycle influenced by post-war American color field painting. Eddy's experiences in New York, where he finds inspiration amidst skyscrapers, parks, and memories, imbue his works with depth, prompting viewers in the 21st century to reflect on their perceptions: 'What you see is what you see.'

Can two painters be compared? Austin Eddy asserts that this practice is an evolution of art history, referring to his method as a repository of memories anchored in humanity, history, and the vast realm of poetry. Conversely, Eddy's art provides a fresh perspective on pivotal developments in painting that were crucial to Expressionism.

The artist's visit to Penzberg and the land of the Blaue Reiter is captured in two drawings created from memory in his Brooklyn studio. The exhibition will also include a film discussion featuring Austin Eddy, recorded at the Museum Penzberg - Sammlung Campendonk. A booklet will be published in conjunction with the exhibition, which is realized in collaboration with KNUST KUNZ Gallery Editions, the gallery representing Austin Eddy in Germany.