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Christel Sobke

N atural realms and themes created in a surrealist mode are found throughout the works of Christel Sobke. She has photographed, created collages, paintings, sculptures and

digital works on the seemingly boundless subject of nature. Sobke has explored her muse from many different angles. Early on in her career she began experimenting with macro-photography to create abstractions of bark by enlarging the scale to show the minute shapes and textures. Sobke has also completed a series of landscapes, focusing on orchids and brilliant autumnal

These works are fascinating to explore; the viewer must rove the canvas to make sense of the scenario'

foliage, as well as a series of collages that feature endangered species. Not to be confined by her native European landscape, Sobke worked on digitally manipulated photographs of street scenes in New York and a tropical-themed series in 1996.

Lately Sobke's interests have turned to surrealism, at first taking the form of poetic landscapes and more recently exploring the combination of nature and industry. These works are fascinating to explore; the viewer must rove the canvas to make sense of the scenario being presented. In "Tree Foundry," a painting set in a cavernous warehouse, the drama unfolds as indifferent, faceless armature work amongst steel beams, wires and other nameless machinery of Sobke's invention.

Interestingly, the machines work not to produce consumer goods or other products, but to create a vessel of nature itself. Within the shadowy confines of the factory these instruments of production work in accord to mold a leaf, inject it with lifeblood and hang it up to dry in endless repetition. Ironically, the factory is devoid of any human intervention or hint of a natural setting; an artificial intelligence operates beyond our field of vision. The style of painting is without extravagance, being both flat and functional, qualities here combined with mystery and nuance are reminiscent of Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte.

Sobke originally studied psychology and German and English literature, but altered her course of study to focus on art. She attended the FHS in Krefeld to become qualified to teach, but retained her passion for art throughout her studies. Since 1982, Sobke has worked as a freelance artist exploring a variety of media with which to perfect her artistic vision of nature.


	Christel Sobke N atural realms and themes created in a surrealist mode are found throughout the works of Christel Sobke. She has photographed, created collages, paintings, sculptures and digital works on the seemingly boundless subject of nature. Sobke has explored her muse from many different angles. Early on in her career she began experimenting with macro-photography to create abstractions of bark by enlarging the scale to show the minute shapes and textures. Sobke has also completed a series of landscapes, focusing on orchids and brilliant autumnal These works are fascinating to explore; the viewer must rove the canvas to make sense of the scenario' foliage, as well as a series of collages that feature endangered species. Not to be confined by her native European landscape, Sobke worked on digitally manipulated photographs of street scenes in New York and a tropical-themed series in 1996. Lately Sobke's interests have turned to surrealism, at first taking the form of poetic landscapes and more recently exploring the combination of nature and industry. These works are fascinating to explore; the viewer must rove the canvas to make sense of the scenario being presented. In "Tree Foundry," a painting set in a cavernous warehouse, the drama unfolds as indifferent, faceless armature work amongst steel beams, wires and other nameless machinery of Sobke's invention. Interestingly, the machines work not to produce consumer goods or other products, but to create a vessel of nature itself. Within the shadowy confines of the factory these instruments of production work in accord to mold a leaf, inject it with lifeblood and hang it up to dry in endless repetition. Ironically, the factory is devoid of any human intervention or hint of a natural setting; an artificial intelligence operates beyond our field of vision. The style of painting is without extravagance, being both flat and functional, qualities here combined with mystery and nuance are reminiscent of Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte. Sobke originally studied psychology and German and English literature, but altered her course of study to focus on art. She attended the FHS in Krefeld to become qualified to teach, but retained her passion for art throughout her studies. Since 1982, Sobke has worked as a freelance artist exploring a variety of media with which to perfect her artistic vision of nature.