This publication was conceived on the occasion of the exhibition “Meuser.Knautsch” at the Städtische Galerie Karlsruhe, July 2nd - October 3rd 2011.

Fot this exhibition Meuser chose a very short, pictographic and memorable title, which also stands for a group of Meuser’s recent works. In an onomatopoeic sense the title “Knautsch” sounds like sound words that translate sounds into words and pictures in a comicbook. In a dictionary of the German language there is no entry about “Knautsch”. The verb “knautschen” is listed and connected to crumpling paper. Most of the phrases, however, refer to textiles as in: “This fabric crumples easily.” Compound nouns are helping us to get closer to the meaning of the word in the sense the artist has used it: “crumple zone … part of the body workin the front and the rear end of a car, that is deformable and is designed to absorb the energy from an impact. After it has been damaged, the crumple zone now looks very much like one of the latest objects by Meuser.

The found pieces of sheet iron, as they are characteristic for the artist so far, are widely from a strictly rational and minimalistic use of form that makes it possible to grasp the the work with one single look. As of recently, Meuser has turned to objects, which have been deformed by a spontaneous and destructive energy and by that turned a random object with dents cushion-like bulges, rendering their once well-wrought, planned geometry useless. The objects are receiving a new artistic quality by their deformation: the known ridigity and resistance that is inherent to the source material become less noticeable in favour of a virtual, optical softness. Besides, the presence of the big object makes way for attractive flowing details.