Category: fine arts
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When stars were born – in my club
Posting about the time when stars like Falco frequented my studio.
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Daoist Talk (I) Supplement
Existence of the non-existence. The sound of one hand clapping. An afterword to Daoist talks (I)
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More nonZENse
Article about Daoism and Zen-Buddhism related to fine arts. Introduction of 2 paintings.
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two book covers and one dragon
Introducing two cover designs and a new dargon painting.
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new projects ahead
Cover for a book: I was asked to create illustrations for a book of poetry and then also to design the cover. Here are some samples.
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An old sketchbook ….
An old sketchbook bought in Paris 40+ years ago is finally put to good use. And some thoughts on that.
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just two characters
I uploaded a new video on youtube, it’s about my calligraphy. Well, in the broadest sense – from traditional to Asemic and painted calligraphy.
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Too young to die – too old to rock’n roll + scam alert
No, it’s not the title of my autobiography and no advertising for Jethro Tull. Much simplier.
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Gold, History, Friends, Sinology and Luxury
An artist’s week in the most livable city in the world: Vienna. About artistic and cultural events.
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only one picture this time….
solid gold: It’s not that I haven’t painted a lot lately, but I’m making slower progress than usual. Some of the work is almost finished and then, only small things are missing, I break off.
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goodbye beijing, hello chongqing
After the exhibition in Beijing had to be repeatedly postponed due to the pandemic, the organizer moved the exhibition to Chongqing, to the Hong Art Museum Chongqing.
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dreamtellers
The Surrealists really turned my world around. First was André Breton who opened the door to this world for me. Then came the painters like Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico etc.
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how we (I) see
Many years ago I read an article about viewing habits. A certain audience was asked the question (sort of): “Do you think we all see the same thing when we look at something?”
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now and zen and later
A few decades ago, the term Zen moment was quite unknown in the West. Today it has become a consumer item and similar to the pair of terms feng shui 風水, most people do not understand what it is actually about.
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front page in Chinese newspaper again
The 光明日报 guangming daily has published a quite detailed report about me, and that on the front page. Last year an article about me, with a focus on calligraphy, appeared in this important newspaper,
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teaser for next exhibition
I’ve been needing a few short video clips for my work for a long time. With a little effort I was able to get something going myself, but then the result was too boring for me and I left this task to someone else.
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etudes
Etudes: If one looks up the English-language equivalent of the French term études in conventional dictionaries, the result is generally “studies”. Only when you translate it from a music-theoretical point of view do you come up with “etudes”.
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metaverse (V)
After my last post (metaverse IV) Schrödinger, his cat, you and I basically agreed that IS and NOT-IS can exist at the same time.
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metaverse (IV)
day & night and Schrödinger’s cat [1] I am very pleased that my postings on this topic are so well received and thank you for the general interest!After this posting today, one more on this topic will follow, but it will be easier to understand. Today it gets a little more complicated. When I…
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metaverse (III)
the beginning and the end Short preliminary remark If I just started with my thoughts, there would be a certain danger of someone shouting: “Hey, that’s not scientific!” Two preliminary remarks are therefore permitted. All our thinking is based on previously thought and mostly we deal with premises. Such as A $100 bill has a…
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Metaverse Project Started (II)
prologue and reflections After my last 2 postings on Kabul and Pyongyang (in the broadest sense also a kind of metaverse 😊) I would like to come back to my personal metaverse today and in the following postings to come. In the first post on this topic metaverse, I presented initial attempts to devote…
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My Ukraine contribution
The picture stands on its own and the title underscores the theme: ” Голубь мира над Киевом”. (Peace Dove over Kiev).
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studies for oil paintings
This week I did some studies on landscape, seascape and organic theme. 3 representative works are presented today.
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state of the art 2022
As I posted in an earlier post, I used to paint a self-portrait every year and named the series “state of art”. This portrait is from 2022.
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my kind of metaverse (I)
In February I started playing around with an idea, but I don’t know if it will become a series yet: It’s dedicated to the metaverse.
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Flyer for my Beijing Exhibition
Flyer for my exhibition in Beijing this spring. Honoring 50 years of cultural exchange between Europe and China.
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Cats in Chinese Painting
Let’s play a little game again: Let’s imagine there is a competition with 3 cats at the start. The “best” cat should be chosen. Which would get your vote: 1, 2 or 3?
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What a dot can do
Reflections on a dot in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. About the meaning of the smallest part of a painting.
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diffuse light
When I started thinking of light in fine arts again about who influenced me it was, Lyonel Feininger came to my mind.
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snow and ice and corona
As I mentioned in my last post, January and February are not my favorite months, especially when it comes to painting. But I try to use the time, make drafts, do some calligraphy, play with ideas and try to improve my painting technique.
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watching the night
About winter depressions. Since this topic has been with me for decades, I would like to present a few examples that have emerged over the years. A useful tool to cope with this is the artistic reflection on this topic.
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new works in abstract surrealism
When it comes to painting, I’m most creative in the evening and after-hours. I can turn off the day’s events and concentrate fully on painting. However, I have to be careful not to work too long. It often happens that I start with enthusiasm and vigor and fall in love with a job right from…
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triptych variant
I presented a tryptich a few days ago. As is so often the case, the underlying idea has not been shelved for me and so I wanted to see how a variant could look like. So I created another work to replace one of the triptych.
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waltzing corona
My first painting this year is this triptych. I will take this as an opportunity to present my point of view, because if I can manage to explain the essential points clearly, you may look at Chinese art from a different perspective in the future.
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New Year’s Pastime
In China, calligraphy is mainly written for the Chinese New Year, as far as calligraphy is still used. This year I wanted to start our New Year with calligraphy, with a poem by Tang Yin. He’s not my favorite calligrapher, nor my favorite poet, but his work is good if you haven’t practiced seriously in…
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20212022
The year 2021 is over and, like every year, I am taking stock. This time as a blog post.
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about my surrealist work
When I started painting decades ago, the first few years were marked by surrealism. Mainly because I was more concerned with literature and I soon came across authors like André Breton or Paul Éluard, whose ideas fascinated and influenced me.
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trying environment topic
I made 2 versions on a topic that has been with me for a long time: 2 vanishing points. The easiest way to depict this idea is in a landscape painting and so I chose this construction.
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new territories to explore
I haven’t painted as much for a long time as I did this year and my vigor, joy and urge to improve is unbroken. Now we are in the 4th lockdown and I take it very calmly – more time to paint…. I deliberately took a short break from my Corona series. That prevents me…
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corona and the sea
Graphing the phenomenon Covid-19 is a difficult undertaking in several respects, whereby the most important questions for me are: How do I make the invisible visible? How do I create a predominantly abstract image in such a way that the underlying phenomenon can be recognized? But above all, how do I convey the areas of…
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another one of those
Today I would like to present a newer picture and originally I had no intention of writing about it, at least almost. Why this?
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trying the big bang
At the latest when I started to approach abstract painting, and that was only a year ago – so I’m still pretty much at the beginning – an idea stuck in my head. ….
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girls – girls – girls
There was a long period of time in which I painted a lot of portraits. I also painted men, a task that was generally easy for me. Men usually have very distinctive faces, especially older ones. Much more exciting, however, was always the topic of women, and especially girls.
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remembering a landscape
whole, I am quite satisfied. However, they are not landscapes, as I often used to do in the past, that I painted in the wild, but rather a play around with ideas or set pieces.
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simple painting with some ideas
I recently presented a few drafts and sketches, ideas that should flow into my next exhibition on the subject of Covid-19. They were largely abstract. I was very pleased with the feedback, as it helped me to reflect on the topic better. Thank you!
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Out of the Blues into the Blue
I’m still working on my exhibition on the subject of Covid-19 and have now started a few works that are not so abstract. Symbolism, archetypal elements and often stronger emphasis on the painterly are again in the foreground.
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landscapes by the water and in the mountains
I consciously wanted to work on a boring landscape scene by the water. The first draft was too excited, too restless. In this second attempt I managed to capture a mood better. Actually, I wanted to convey more of the feeling that one has when an evening song or serenade is performed by the water…
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Drafts for the Corona series and questions about them
For one of my exhibitions, which will be shown in Vienna next year, I chose the topic around covid-19. I think this is a subject that might be of some interest. We all suffered and still suffer from it in one form or another and so I thought that it might be of interest to…
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early sketchbook with Chinese minority people
Today I’m showing you a sketchbook that I’ve never taken out of the drawer. Maybe for a good reason? Actually, they are single sheets that I then mounted in a Chinese fan-fold album.
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hacked 2 times in 1 day – scary story!
Lately I’ve started some work on clouds. The point is not to represent different cloud formations true to nature, but to give the clouds a meaning that goes beyond “being a cloud”. Poem by Berthold Brecht.
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painting about a love poem
Lately I’ve started some work on clouds. The point is not to represent different cloud formations true to nature, but to give the clouds a meaning that goes beyond “being a cloud”. Poem by Berthold Brecht.
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triptych theme and variations
Music is undoubtedly one of the most important driving forces in my painting. This tryptic is based on theme and variations influenced by calssical music.
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state of the art – a couple of self portraits
For many years I painted a self-portrait every year. I called the series “State of the Art”. Unfortunately I stopped because I didn’t want to be perceived as a narcissist.
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better this time – I think
After I decided yesterday to throw away a piece of work I painted the basic idea of that work in a completely different version and I’m relatively satisfied with the result.
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it don’t come easy
When is a picture ready finished? I paint and paint and at some point a voice says: let go. It becomes more difficult when a painting does not “feel” finished.
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trying landscapes again
I took a break from my calligraphy-oriented work and made 2 studies for landscape paintings, which from my point of view have some good aspects.
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certificate of honor received
Yesterday I was given a certificate of honor for special achievements in the Austrian-Chinese relations.
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calligraphy – painted
Since I’m not Chinese, one might wonder why I attach so much importance to this aspect of art. There are essentially 3 reasons: I consider traditional Chinese calligraphy to be one of the most challenging and superior art forms.
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power, elegance and savageness
I continue to paint a lot, but it’s getting harder and harder to surpass previous work. Maybe they look pretty much the same for some viewers anyway. For me, however, it is about certain issues that I would like to perfect over time.
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gestural painting a step further
The works from the series “gestural abstraction” now have content. No content in the sense that one is now figuratively led in a certain direction, but that psychological sensitivities or concepts from psychoanalysis are taken up.
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short question on making video clips
gestural painting, subconsciousness and archetypes in my series of gestural abstract paintings
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gestural painting, subconsciousness and archetypes
gestural painting, subconsciousness and archetypes in my series of gestural abstract paintings
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article by me in the China Report
The “China Report” # 179 is dedicated to the 50 years of diplomatic relations between Austria and China. As it is a special anniversary, the authors are particularly prominent in this issue. Austrian President van der Bellen, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, former Austrian and Chinese ambassadors, Federal Chancellor Kurz, to name just a few,…
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almost thrown away
I have a few binders of work that I originally wanted to throw away. The reason? I mostly work on series. These have to follow a certain concept or thought. If a work does not fit in, it will be sorted out.
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The Essence of Chinese Painting (IX)
The Essence of Chinese Painting Part 3. This artivcle is dealing with the structure in Chinese painting by using some examples.
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if sharks were people
Among other things, Berthold Brecht wrote short stories, the “Stories from Mr. Keuner” are particularly well known. I would like to present a story here. If the sharks were people.
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burning down the snow
There has long been a phrase in my ideas treasure chest: burning snow. I’m not sure if this is a creation from myself. Probably born out of my intellectual confrontation with Schubert’s “Winterreise”. It can just as well come from a poem or even a pop song.
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white black red
As in most of my work ideas from Chinese painting and calligraphy flow into them. I would like to take this opportunity to point out a special aspect that is of essential importance for the understanding of East Asian art: the importance of the non-represented, the nothing, the white.
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triptych finished
The title of this triptych is a mountain. In principle, it shows 3 mountain peaks that together form a mountain. Just like the Chinese character for mountain 3 represents mountain peaks.
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nude drawing
Nude drawing is one of the most important pillars in a painter’s education. For me it has always been one of my weak points. These works are from the time I was at the academy and the time I started to enjoy life drawing.
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abstract landscape painting
Abstract landscape painting, ink on Yupo Paper
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paint away pain
Abstract landscape painting, ink and pastels on hand made paper. With Schubert as a source of energy.
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another couple of new works
Last weekend was another very productive one. I am working on a couple of series and was able to finish some work which can be added now. Like these painting of withered flowers, landscape, stones and abstract composition.
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a couple of new works
Last weekend was very productive. I am very satisfied with some of the works and would therefore like to present them.
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a step forward
For decades I have painted figurative. Almost 2 years ago I started to develop myself into abstract painting. Even if I haven’t found a definitive style, I’m pretty happy with my progress like this rocks and stones painting.
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Mu Qi. 6 Persimmons – an interpretation
6 Persimmons – an interpretation. Analyzing one of the most important Chinese paintings by the Zen monk Mu Qi
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a couple of new works added
I have again created some works for the current series gestural painting. They are all in A3 format and in ink on paper. As in the previous works, they are shaped by ideas and principles from traditional Chinese calligraphy.
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Easter Contribution
Painting and graphics related to politics and history. Albrech Dürer’s Christus am Kreuz overwritten with Mao Slogan.
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Another Work after Huang Binhong – 黄宾虹
Another painting after Huang Binhong. My painting and the original by Huang show the effort of capturing the spirit of the original.
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Recent Work: Day 7/7 the last one
Abstract painting of autumn in my garden. This is the final example with work for the past 2-3 weeks.
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Recent Work: Day 6/7 new bookmarks
Some more bookmarks. There are still lots of dried blossoms and leaves from last spring and autumn and I could do quite a few more of these.
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Recent Work: Day 5/7 Surrealism
With painters like Max Ernst, the world of painting opened up for me. Now I have painted an homage to Max Ernst. “The Triumph of Surrealism” from 1937.
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Recent Work: Day 4/7 gestural calligraphy
In the gestural calligraphy series, principles of traditional calligraphy are used to make random formations appear as if they were calligraphy.
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Recent Work: Day 3/7 blossom and calligraphy
Smaller painting with a single blossom and traditional Chinese calligraphy
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Recent Work: Day 2/7 with explanation
Mao Zedong slogan on old, decorative Romanian invoice from 1932
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Recent Work: Day 1/7
Painted calligraphy by writing various poems by Tang Yin (唐寅 1470–1524) on top of each other.
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A few rays of sunshine for your weekend
After my old love for “The Blue Rider” flared up again and after a long beautiful walk through the Vienna Woods, this picture was then taken.
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A simple picture and yet a treasure – ZHA Shibiao
Small album sheet by the artist Zha Shibiao that looks very simple at first glance and only shows its charm and mastery when we take some time for a closer look and reflection.
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copying old masters – 黄宾虹
When copying Chinese paintings, one should grasp the spirit (qi 气) of the painting. The original on the left, my copies on the right.
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New work – with an explanation
Mao Poem on historical security which is designed in the finest Art Nouveau design. Overwritten with a Mao Zedong poem.