HERBERT LIPPERT - Der Klang der Farbe
In the exhibition “The Sound of Color,” abstraction and figuration stand in a deliberate artistic dialogue. Numerous Austrian composers dedicate works to the artist, which he not only interprets but also reflects upon in painting. For each musical composition, two paintings are created—one abstract and one figurative. Each work is understood as a visual counterpart to music. During the painting process, he is accompanied above all by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach’s compositions give him inner calm and freedom. “In principle, I already know what I am going to paint—but I need music to paint it,” Lippert describes this creative process. For each motif, he develops an abstract as well as a figurative version, the latter sometimes reminiscent of Post-Impressionism. Both versions are usually connected through a shared color palette and enter into a dialogue with one another. Characteristic is the deliberate reduction to a dominant color, which is varied in different nuances. This focus on a chromatic base tone intensifies expressiveness and strengthens the rhythmic character of the compositions. In the abstract works, the colored forms often appear against a white background, creating a particular luminosity, dynamism, and emotional intensity. Herbert Lippert works predominantly in oil on canvas. The exhibition includes both large-format works measuring 140 × 200 cm and smaller works measuring 120 × 80 cm. The presentation is complemented by oil studies sized 70 × 50 cm.
Chamber singer, tenor, and painter—Herbert Lippert’s outstanding and internationally recognized career in the world of music is widely known. Less present in public awareness, however, is his work as a visual artist, which has always accompanied his creative output. His pronounced talent for painting was already evident in childhood. Alongside his studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts, he also completed artistic training at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in the master classes of Adolf Frohner and Oswald Oberhuber. Painting was never merely a secondary pursuit for him, but always a quiet and constant companion to his musical career. As he recounted in an ORF interview, he would always carry a watercolor pad with him on concert tours. Today, however, visual art stands on equal footing—or even at the center—of his artistic expression.
In 2017, Lippert realized his first exhibition at the Vienna State Opera, in the Gustav Mahler Hall. There, he combined singing and painting in an impressive way: with his interpretation of Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” and 24 specially created oil paintings, a multi-layered synthesis of sound and image emerged—a creative engagement with the song cycle that allowed music and painting to merge into a holistic experience. The connection between the two disciplines opened up a new creative dimension for the artist. Singing and painting do not exist side by side for him; rather, they inspire and permeate one another. As he himself formulates: “Singing and painting are two forms of expression that allow me to combine my creativity and emotions in a unique way. Painting with music in my mind while simultaneously raising my voice to different compositions allows both arts to merge into a holistic experience.” “The Sound of Color” vividly demonstrates how, in Lippert’s work, music and painting do not exist as separate disciplines, but as two equally important voices of a unified artistic expression.