My way to art
I have been involved with various forms of creative expression since my early years. From my youth until my thirties, music was an essential means of expression. My interest in visual and graphic design was already expressed in the 1990s in the form of designing websites or a music magazine.
An experiment in 2008 finally led me to painting, in which I followed, out of sheer curiosity, the idea of a fortune teller who told me that I could paint.
Thanks to this curious beginning, I developed a passion and fascination for the mysteries of the unknown as well as the invisible and abstract worlds of human existence and their visualization.
Technique
Both my approaches and my technique are constantly changing. I started out with large-format, alla prima painting, straddling the colors. Gradually, the formats became somewhat smaller and I began to paint in layers and glazes. The colorfulness continues to play an important role, but now has a more accentuating effect and forms a contrast to the flat, often spaceless backgrounds.
Process
For me, the process of creating each painting is essential. Since my early years, I have always worked with models in system constellations, as they are also used in psychotherapy. I choose characters, e.g. from mythological stories, and try to find people who can take on this role. Then I give them a plot or sometimes just a key part of the story and bring them into a room together. In this way, scenarios develop in which the characters begin to interact with each other independently. In this fluid process exciting situations arise from time to time, which I often use as a starting point for my works. Since 2018, I have also increasingly devoted myself to studies in European and international museums.
References
The influences of various subject areas and impressions also continue content wise. I am interested in all types of paintings, but especially those of the 14th to 17th century as well as historical paintings of the 19th and early 20th century. I have a particular love for Italian Renaissance and Baroque painting, which develops an immense attraction in any exhibition due to its atmosphere and effect. These impressions mingle with my interest in Greek mythology, psychology and philosophy to form the content of my paintings. The focus is on human existence in all its facets. Through my methods, I try to produce universally valid images in relation to recurring themes of humanity that have lost none of their topicality. With these approaches, I create timeless depictions that are anchored in classical painting in terms of technique and aesthetics, but always build a bridge to the 21st century through elements of content.
transcript Franziska Heiß MA
K u r t S t i m m e d e r
+43 (0) 676 426 2042
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