Stefan Thiel

German born, Stefan Thiel’s (1965) paper cut-outs render photorealistic scenes, people, or objects with stunning precision. Using a scalpel to subtract from the flat surface, these works each integrate the “photographic, the performative, the graphical and the decorative.” He often focuses on elements that are particularly painterly, such as a glistening leather purse, fishnet stockings, or a ripple of water—reminiscent of the Cubist desire to deconstruct traditional still lifes by way of collage.

Thief regularly works in series and has directed his encyclopedic obsession at subjects including fashion models, movie stills isolated from their original narrative, and men with their pants down. Thiel has exhibited at institutions including Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany, Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany, Kunstmuseum, Solothurn, Switzerland, and a number of international galleries.