Abstraction in the works by Katharina Grosse stands in the tradition of color field painting, abstract expressionism and the art of Informel. Her artistic practice draws on techniques and styles as diverse as impressionism, graffiti, performance, process and installation art.
Katharina Grosse detaches painting from any material reality, from the actual primacy of things. Her painting in itself is not something that needs to be developed, narrowed down or determined, nor does it follow the stipulation of an extra-painting reality. While a canvas is sharply delimited by its edges, her paintings run virtually over the borders and is in turn crossed by them in the form of cuts, lines and contours. In this respect, the edges of the canvas only appear as a possible, temporary and non-binding limitation of the painting. Her painting is without composition, determined solely by colour.