Katrin Greiner

Radicchio love
Photography
60 x 80 cm

Katrin Greiner

Dealing with rejection in art is a central theme that is still relevant today. Unfortunately, hardly anyone talks about it. Artists are often confronted with the challenge of reconciling their creative visions and forms of expression with the expectations of a jury or the wider public.

Rejection can be frustrating and discouraging and therefore requires inner strength and the ability to accept setbacks as part of the creative process. The Salon des Refusés shows that rejection can also serve as fuel for change. It encouraged artists to break new ground and explore innovative techniques without bowing to the conventions of the established art world. The Salon des Refusés teaches us that what is considered avant-garde and ground-breaking today is often the result of yesterday’s rejection. 

My work was rejected and praised in equal measure. Some people have been triggered by the theme of pain, others by the form of representation and still others find my humorous and colorful approach to this theme wonderful. By participating in the Salon des Refusés, I want to encourage other artists to go their own way and have the courage not to please everyone.

Drawing attention to the issue in this group exhibition is important and provides a wonderful opportunity to promote artistic dialog as well as cohesion and solidarity among artists. 

– Kathrin Greiner

In the realm of contemporary photography, Katrin Greiner emerges as a poignant storyteller whose narrative is carved not just through her lens, but through her lived experiences. “Radicchio Love,” part of her series “The Power And Poetry Of Pain,” encapsulates her exploration into the paradox of pain as both a deeply personal and universally understood phenomenon.

As a Berlin artist, Katrin Greiner’s work sits at the intersection of vibrant culture and introspective solitude. The city’s historical gravitas and its present-day creative liberation are the backdrop to her art, which is characterized by its striking use of color and a seemingly irreverent juxtaposition of elements. Yet, beneath the surface whimsy lies a profound engagement with the body’s narrative and the complexities of chronic pain.

Katrin Greiner’s artistic practice defies the traditional quietus often associated with pain, instead choosing to confront and even celebrate it with a “humorous eye and an extra portion of color.” Her photographs are not mere images but visual sculptures, meticulously crafted, playing with form and shadow to create a tactile sense of presence. Through her works, she not only visualizes pain but also reclaims it, transforming her physical constraints into a vibrant artistic language.

The framing of “Radicchio Love” further emphasizes the crafted nature of her work, presenting it not as a fleeting moment but as a considered, enduring statement. Greiner’s work resonates with the ethos of the Salon de Refusées – the power to defy norms, to find beauty and expression in what is conventionally silenced, and to engage with pain not as a barrier but as a catalyst for creativity and change.

Katrin Greiner’s contribution to the exhibition is a celebration of this defiance, offering viewers a lens through which to reimagine their relationship with their own vulnerabilities. In Greiner’s universe, pain becomes a palette from which poetry is derived, offering a raw and authentic testament to the complex tapestry of human experience.