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You will hardly find, Johannes Gerard

In my work someone will hardly find any direct straight to the point statements about global political, environmental and socially critical issues. Neither in my video nor photography , performance and installations work. There was a time were I did that for a while. It was my first years after art school. I stop with it abruptly and I never returned of working this way. Because I came to the conclusion it wouldn’t work for me. My work would look clumsy, wanted and force. There are artists which have the ability to visualized global issues and problems in a very good direct open statement. But I don’t want to put myself into the row of artists who can’t.

Therefore I never put my work under the label of political art, socially critic art , gender issues, environmental or activism. Neither I add statements or explanation to my work stating …this is political art, socially critical art and so on… More important I do not have and I do not want to follow the mainstreams and trending political correctness. That is not my role as an artist.

Before I start to hold a mirror in front of the audience or society , I have to look first at myself in the mirror. It’s easy to point with the finger to other and make myself think I am standing on the good site with all the real truth.

For to tackle those issues my oeuvre became introvert, metaphoric and using symbols rather then using a direct open approach

2 Comments
  1. Avatar photo
    Masha Gudyma

    Hi, Johannes/ . It is very valuable to me that you don’t label your work, because it sets a certain context – how is better to perceive art. And somwtimes it fetters the viewer’s imagination, builds boundaries, the perception of work becomes dimmer. So big thank u for that.
    You said that your oeuvre has become more introvert and metaphoric. I can see it on “I can`t see”) Permeating and very dramatic work, it seems like hero has no skin (mask/protection) on his face, it is a wound. Therefore, he is vulnerable.
    How do you feel 2021? Has the degree of tension decreased in the world?
    Hope to see the answer in your next work.) Thank u for sharing.

  2. Avatar photo
    Crystal Marshall

    “More important I do not have and I do not want to follow the mainstreams and trending political correctness. That is not my role as an artist.” I couldn’t have agreed more with this statement. I feel the exact same way!!! As artists we are forced to create according to mainstream themes and I don’t personally like that. Society has a way of compartmentalizing which sometimes is unhelpful. I to do introspective paintings about my self and external experiences are referenced spiritually and symbolically. I believe like you labelling work with a social or political purpose shouldn’t be expected. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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