Till Gerhard’s epic scenes of rural community are painted
with supernatural intensity, alluding to a disquietly sinister
corruption of utopia. In Das Wir Gefuhl, Gerhard paints a
coven of robed worshippers in ritual dance; oil wells dot
the background like religious totems. Bathed in blinding celestial
light, the figures haloed in salvation cast telling dark shadows.
The surface of the painting is be-speckled with divine aura,
infusing the scene with a joyous mysticism. Each beam of light
has the effect of floating out of the canvas, embracing the
viewer in its contaminated warmth.