About
Super Pop Boy
The Short Story
of My Life
(until now)
Study and Theater
A Decision
After graduating from high school, I decided to study fashion design, art and painting at the renowned JAK Academy in Hamburg. The curriculum was based on that of the Bauhaus school, which means a solid foundation in design theory and practice.
During this time, I was fascinated by the work of American theater director Robert Wilson. His unique approach to theater fascinated me. I decided to go to Berlin - the epicenter of theater - in the hope of one day working with Wilson.
At Humboldt University in Berlin, I began studying theater studies and German literature and wrote the play “Existenz”, which was inspired by the works of Heidegger, Kafka and David Lynch.
Then the unbelievable happened: Robert Wilson came to Berlin and I was given the opportunity to work as an assistant set designer on the production of "Der Ozeanflug" at the Berliner Ensemble. After that, I was offered the opportunity to continue working for Wilson.
This offer plunged me into a huge dilemma:
Do I want to continue working in the theater with its structures, or lead the insecure but free life as an artist?
I didn't know how to establish myself as an independent artist. But deep inside me I felt a strong longing for a life full of creativity and freedom, something I had experienced in my childhood.
The idea of creating art freely and without boundaries inspired me deeply. It was as if I could really breathe for the first time. In a night of doubt and inner struggle, I decided to take the path of the artist - and I could hardly wait to start this adventure.
Wilson's famous theater piece "Einstein on the Beach".
Bubble Painting No. 02
"The Green One - Andy the Mediac"
Celeste Art Prize Exhibition
First Paintings
Bubble paintings
My first steps as an independent artist and painter began with wanting to paint large canvases with lots of figures and stories. However, the large format caused me difficulties as I could not fill it in a relevant and satisfying way. This led to a period of doubt.
Some parts of the painting were always fine, but overall the paintings just didn't work. In my greatest despair, I painted a circle around the good parts of the painting and covered the rest of the canvas with a color. This created “holes” through which you could see the good parts or the action. I called the holes “bubbles” and the new style “Bubble Paintings”.
After realizing that the figures in my paintings were too realistic, I decided to shift my style towards a more abstract, comic-book inspired approach. This led to the creation of the "Andy"-series, with the first piece being "The Green One - Andy the Mediac".
The defining characteristic of the "Andy" -series is that each painting is named after its main color (The Red One, The Blue One, etc.) Additionally, each piece features a person named "Andy" who indirectly plays a role, but is never actually depicted. Once "The Green One" was finished, I submitted it for the international Celeste Art Prize, and the piece was nominated and exhibited in a group show.
First Exhibitions and Collectors
The Factory HB55
After the Celeste Art Prize, I decided to move into a larger studio located in the HB55 art factory. The factory hosts over 100 studios and artists from around the world, providing a vibrant and dynamic artistic community. This move marked the beginning of an exciting journey that included numerous fantastic exhibitions and parties. The first collectors showed interest and bought works. The true artist life began!
A variety of exhibitions, both national and international, showcased my works and received coverage in newspapers and online publications. The resulting visibility led to art enthusiasts and collectors from the world's most famous cities, including New York, Miami, Basel, Berlin, Vienna, Cologne, Oslo, and Kaohsiung, purchasing paintings. Further insights into these events can be found in my "Artist Diary" under the "News" tab.
Exhibitions and Party on! Artist collective HB55.
Costume party at HB55
Where do the ideas come from?
Inspiration
The ideas for my paintings come from a wide variety of sources. I regularly read magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue or look in stores like KaDeWe in Berlin to discover the latest trends from Adidas, Lacoste, etc.. I love fashion designers, they are some of the most creative people you can imagine.
Other inspirations come from the world of literature, from biographies of artists, designers, researchers and scientists to philosophical works.
I also love current events and trends that are shaping our world, from the latest technological developments such as artificial intelligence to virtual worlds like the metaverse or Second Life.
Movies and Netflix series are also an important source of inspiration, as is the music I listen to while working. Most of it is music from the 70s and 80s. Many of my paintings have titles of lyrics or titles of the music tracks.
Finally, I am fascinated by games. It's fascinating, when we start a game, we know there are many obstacles and problems, but we look forward to the challenge. Can we transfer that to real life? #gamifyyourlife
The process of painting is always the same: I don't decide on a theme for a new painting until I've finished one. I don't plan themes, everything happens in the moment. The past and the future are uninteresting, which I have learned to appreciate with WuWei. It's also a bit like childhood, where we only care about the moment without thinking about yesterday or tomorrow. By the time we grow up, we've forgotten that. So:
Don't grow up!
Super Pop Boy