Neo Rauch refers explicitly to the subconscious as a source for pictorial inventions and allows room for coincidence as a compositional element, which is a clear reference to Surrealism. The collage-like technique, the deformations and disassociations of the figures and objects, the erratic task in the painting and the unclear purpose of which - all of these are typical elements of a surrealist aesthetic. It is an aesthetic of the surprising, which brings together that which does not belong together, visualises the unexpected and freely associates dream images in order to open a door to the subconscious. The puzzle thus arising and the suspected meaning resulting from this for the viewer, however, remain unresolved over time in the face of an enigmatic iconography that cannot be interpreted.
It is precisely this that constitutes the charm of Neo Rauch’s paintings, which appear to refer to a great deal and tell an unprecedented story, but nonetheless always remain impalpable. It is this view into the subconscious that reveals itself in the pictorially manifested dream world of Neo Rauch.
