Snapshots of eternity

Naturalistic, realistic and at the same time abstract, Otto Schmidt’s work shows us elusive snapshots of the infinite beauty of nature, of the eternal theme of water. Reflections of everyday objects like boats or nearby buildings paint colorful patterns on the water’s surface – alienated and unrecognizable, making our eyes discover new worlds. Schmidt plays with reflection and the movement of water showing us through this the unknown reverberation of real forms and colors. What he finds in the water is downright scandalous, barely conceivable: color reflexes, water structures, situations where patterns take on nearly pictographic form, an extraordinary wealth of elusive phenomena that surprises over and over again. For centuries Schmidt, a native of Cologne, has captured the ephemeral: ornamental paintings on the surface, amorphous and suggestive strokes of nature’s brush, created by her caprice.