Acrylic Paintings - Energy And Dynamism

Current works 2020-2021

In my work with acrylic paint the 'let it happen' stands in the foreground. I empty my head completely, banish the "desire" from my mind and focus on my breathing. You could quite call this process my meditation. Without a concrete intention in mind, I mix the colors directly on the painting surface and come to a first spontaneous composition in a dynamic painting process. Afterwards, the composition is further refined. Partly some background and details are added and developed. The aim is to conserve the energy and dynamism of the spontaneous composition.

Illusions and Misinterpretations

For a while now, I have been intensively studying how images are created in our minds. I was familiar with the so-called pareidolia phenomenon, namely the effect of seeing living beings or faces in abstract patterns or structures. The exciting question was not only how, but also why these misinterpretations occur and how I can intentionally create them.

I came across an interesting article about the studies of the Dutch brain researcher Matthias Ekman. (Article onyl available in german language.) With his research he could prove that our brain interpolates a 'preview' already 150 - 200 milliseconds before the actual recognition of the image is delivered by the eyes. The eye virtually confirms the 'preview' and provides the basis for the next one.

This is a kind of auto-completion of our brain, which creates the probable following image from its individual wealth of experience. In this way, we can quickly react situationally to our environment. Evolutionarily, it was a great advantage for us to have recognized the lion quickly. And playing tennis, for example, would not be possible without these preview images. In both cases, recognizing and reacting 200 milliseconds too late can be essential.

In this way, the 'why' of the pareidolia in my own art was revealed to me. I suppose: If there is nothing directly figurative for the eye to recognize, our brain first tries to interpret a figurative representation.

This assumption I try to confirm in my current works and offer interpretation possibilities rather than concrete representation.

After the first recognition, our brain tries to find a new sense or new figures in the optical offer. The amorphous forms in my works support the effect that our brain wants to recognize living beings, but primarily people.

From the fragments, as I notice now, each viewer composes a different image. The associations on some images went in different directions, but as intended always in the direction of living and feelings. Thus I saw a goal reached: My pictures complete themselves only in the mind of the viewers.

From a purely technical point of view, my acrylic painting is most likely to action- and mess-painting. The composition arises spontaneously during the first steps. Subsequently, a further elaboration in often several layers. The range of tools ranges from very wide spatulas to the drawing pen.