Style & Material

VISUAL POEMS.

When I talk about my artworks i call them VISUAL POEMS rather than paintings, as they are surreal lyrics that open up a variety of interpretations rather than referring to one specific meaning. In my visual poems I explore general human feelings, mind states, hopes or anxieties by expressing this feelings through natural phenomenons, wildlife, nature or anatomy. The worlds i paint, show things we know to truly exist, like parts of the human body, insects or crystals. Those fragments of reality are placed in an unnatural or alienated environment and therefore appear familiar and strangely surreal at the same time. Although I am a very creative person, I equally need a lot of structure and order in my personal and artistic life. Therefore in each artwork surreal parts share the space with geometric and neatly constructed forms. Most of my lyrics are modern interpretations of the Memento Mori theme, which is dealing with the thought of vanity of earthly life and the omnipresent consciousness of death as a part of life.  They therefore do have a certain darkness in them but at the same time open bright and colorful worlds with a life-affirming attitude.

Influences.

I find it really hard to name specific influences to my work, but I will nevertheless give it a try. As a pop-surrealist I am of course influenced by the big surrealists of the 20th century like Salvador Dali, Max Ernst or Frida Kahlo. Although there are heaps of contemporary visual artists that I find highly fascinating and who’s work I do like a lot (Camille Rose Garcia, Amy Judd or Jacky Tsai just to name a few), most of my inspirations do not arise from visual arts at all. I am blissed to find inspiration in the lyrics of Country or Folk Rock, in surreal European movies, in modern American and classic Russian literature, in minimalistic Scandinavian design, in b/w photography and in theatre plays I visit here in Munich and on the road.