New exhibition at Gallery Jules Julian

Stephan Geisler

Light Finger

April 29th – Maj 31st

An expressive, colorful and sensual exhibition, that takes the viewer along under the skin of human nature. The exhibition reflects Geisler’s exceptional ability to sense the relation between the introvert feelings and extrovert body language of the human being. In the examination of this borderland between mind and appearance the figurative and abstract melt together in a carefree and vitalistic universe.

“I’m working with people, animals, things and situations, which I’m confronted with in my life and which inspire me in a special way. Sometimes there is a small moment, a glance of a person, a special way of moving, a certain atmosphere creating this indispensable feeling which makes me want to paint it, to reflect it and to feel the intensity.”

Stephan Geisler

Artist Q&A’s

Stephan Geisler

Your art is placed somewhere in the gap between abstraction and figuration. How come you are drawn by this ambivalent expression and which qualities do you think it adds to your works of art?

Depending on the picture’s main theme, either figuration or abstraction is dominating. When painting human beings, the correct anatomy and physiognomy is so important to me, that sometimes the definition of reality determines the work. The paintings of cows, on the other hand, are further from reality. But at the end there is a cow.

When painting for example a portrait, the head, the person is of course important, but it is not the only part, that defines the picture. There is the picture itself, its quality, autonomous from the portrait, independent from any reality. The total of these two parts (and of course also other extremes) are making the pictures. The reality is only one thing.

Your pictures are often based on photographs of friends and acquaintances in relaxed everyday situations. What are your thoughts about making art based on real events and real people?

I’m working with people, animals, things and situations, which I’m confronted with in my life and which are inspiring me in a special way. Sometimes there is a small moment, a glance of a person, a special way of moving, a certain atmosphere creating this indispensable feeling which makes me want to paint it, to reflect it and to feel the intensity. Without this inspiration an intensive process of painting would not be possible. Reality is the most important inspiration. At that point I seem to continue a certain tradition in art history.

You seem to be drawn by a curiosity of the mental and physical sensuality of people. Where does this curiosity come from and what role does it play in your works of art?

I’m just curious about people, about anybody. I want to understand anybody, their behavior, their life, the way they are feeling and the things they are doing. I can’t remember if there was a specific moment in my life where this curiosity began.

Anyway, I would never try to appraise anybody or anything. I want to see the persons or the things, that I am confronted with and try to understand them. For me it is really important not to judge anything as either good or bad, also when looking at art. Referring to the physics of humans I’m really an aesthete in a very classical way. I love human bodies and their vitality, but I’m also curious about curios.

Your investigative and experimental approach to the portrait genre seems to be an attempt to penetrate deeper into human nature. Why are you drawn by this topic?

The intensive reflection on being human and the intensive reflection during the process of painting are conflated to a high level of intensity in the pictures. The work is to be understood on the basis of the beholders associations. The beholder himself is as free as the painter. But the intensity of the pictures that I have spoken of, cause an intensive reflection in the beholder.

Your art seems to reflect a very positive and carefree attitude to life. Are you always in a good mood when you paint and do you never feel the need to express anger and frustration through your works of art?

I try to accept life as it is. Life is not good or bad, it just is! When I’m going in my studio in the morning I don’t anticipate anything, I don’t anticipate a certain quality or to finish a few pictures before the day is over. I’m just happy that I have the possibility to paint, to do what I want and what I have always dreamed of as an adolescent. I just enjoy every moment in the studio and I think this feeling is findable in the pictures. Why should I paint frustrated things or anger or fear? Our life is full of it, look at the TV or in a newspaper! You’ll find all these items and so much information, that nobody needs.

It is time to focus on the basic elements of life again and to be brave enough to live the way you want. I know, that my position as an artist, making modern art, is authentic exactly because nobody told me to live like that. This authenticity is the most important thing to me.

Your sympathetic attitude to life and immediate positivism rubs heavily on the viewer, facing one of your works. What does it mean to you, that your art is capable of making people happy?

I don’t know if my pictures are making people happy. But the feeling of intensity, of emotions, of atmosphere and of people and anything else in the pictures, could perhaps change people’s attitude in this cursory world. Perhaps they will understand again how wonderful it is to concentrate only on one thing, to feel one thing and strip off all the rest of the world for one moment. When one beholder gets such an impulse it makes ME happy.

How would you describe a successful work of art?

Immanuel Kant said, an artist does not work with general, with common rules, but is creating his own complex world of rules. Often the artist doesn’t know what exactly these rules are, but is inventing his own language. I don’t know if I really want to analyze these reasons for a successful work of art…

I love dance theatre. Seeing an intensive performance gives me a certain feeling. In the best case I am really impressed. I just want to hold this feeling inside me. Analyzing it would destroy the magic of such a moment. Of course a lot of contemporary art are supposed to be seen in the light of a specific content. In that case you have to analyze the intention of the work. But in my work this is not really necessary. If the beholder wants to analyze one of my pictures, he is free to do so. Perhaps the first step for him is to get enough courage to just feel it.

Can you try to describe your working process from idea to finished artwork?

The process is of course not always the same, but one way could be this: The inspiration by a certain person, getting in contact, drinking coffee or tea, having a few shootings on several themes. Inspired by certain photos or moments or themes of the shooting we decide which photos could be the basis for new pictures. Then the process of painting begins. It is just like a dialog with the picture. There is a certain status and you have to think, what could be the next step and what could be the effect of that step. You take this step and then you see the result, a new status, and you have again to decide what could be the next step. There is no specific aim. It is a free process. Only, the photo is a kind of anchor or basis, you always can come back to. It is the same as in real life, one step after the other, open for very new ways at every moment.

Questions made by Amalie Frederiksen

Med en dedikeret interesse for sindet og kroppen udforsker den tyske billedkunstner Stephan Geisler relationen mellem menneskets introverte følelser og ekstroverte kropssprog. I grænselandet mellem det indre og det ydre smelter det figurative og det abstrakte, det håndgribelige og diffuse sammen i et sorgløst og vitalistisk univers, der afspejler et uhøjtideligt og positivt livssyn med fokus på det nære og personlige.

Geislers værker har et særpræget slægtskab med portrætgenren. Hans værker er baseret på fotografiske studier af venner og bekendte, som han er fascineret af både fysisk og psykisk. Især den nøgne mandekrop er et centralt omdrejningspunkt, men også køer, høns og hunde er ofte genkomne skabninger.

Som enhver ny generation kendetegnes ved en blanding af tradition og fornyelse, er Geislers værker på en gang en forlængelse af og et opgør med den efterhånden aldrende portrætgenre. Det særlige og interessante ved Geislers nytænkning af portrættet er hans insisteren på at fastholde både den fysiske og psykiske bevægelse, hvormed hans malerier tilføres en aura af sårbarhed og intimitet.

Med fotografiet og snapshotæstetikken som inspirationskilder fastholder Geisler den portrætterede i skæve og spøjse positioner, hvormed han gør op med de stivnede og iscenesatte portrætter, der i mindre grad stiller krav til beskuerens fantasi.

I Geislers ukontroversielle portrætter kombineres anatomisk præcision med en fantasifuld og næsten ironisk løssluppenhed over for portrætgenrens uomgængelige krav om naturalisme. Denne uhøjtidelige leg med det kunstneriske formsprog tilfører værkerne en udtryksfuld og personlig sanselighed, der gør Geislers værker til noget helt særligt.

Geislers enorme proportioner og skæve perspektiver fører beskueren ind under huden på den menneskelige natur. På store lærreder forvandles brede ekspressionistiske penselstrøg, stofrester og et orgie af farver til personlige og stemningsfulde fortællinger fra den umiddelbare hverdag. De collageinspirerede værker og den frigjorte svælgen i materialer og farver vidner om en forkærlighed for det skæve og om et verdenssyn, hvor der er uendeligt højt til loftet. Geislers kunstværker peger på en uspoleret og naturlig skønhed i det umiddelbare og velkendte.

Amalie Frederiksen

Bachelor in Art History