ARTIST STATEMENT

My work operates in the tension field between nature and culture: the basic conditions of life vs. the superstructure of a man-made world.

16 years in the tropics- a totally different way of life for a native German- influence my work and my perception of what one can take for granted. They made me ponder our spiritual and mental baggage, the indispensable, essential and also unavoidable core of life and the notion of reality.

An inspiration beside those experiences is the journey back to the origins of words and objects. This journey into the past, which leads me through so many countries and cultures, shows me the amazing depth and complexity of the everyday present "ordinary", which seldom is as ordinary as it seems on first glance.

In my opinion, each theme demands its own approach, and so I have different kinds of work with different qualities. I like the pasty, earthy richness of acrylic paint and the flowing properties of watercolors, where things often develope unforseen and on their own. But sometimes my "alchemical tendencies" take over and I experiment with all kinds of materials. In some works I have a clear concept, that I follow. In others the concept is more vague and I partly just look what happens. I often work in series, where the separate works interact with each other.

For me, the artistic process is like an inner conversation, feeling and thinking in color and form. The best moments are those, when during painting something happens, that I never planned, but which perfectly adds to what I thought of and opens up a new dimension.....like a reply in a dialogue.

And I think the same happens to someone, who is touched by a work of art.