response to advisor meeting with Andrew Cooks on October 18th, 2017

I talked to Andrew on October 18^th, 2017.

We discussed the new painting work and we had a very good conversation about the work. It is less constructed and built up than the work I did during the past years, with all the little shapes and colours and maps. It comes from a different place, more from the body, I am in the painting while I work, dripping and rubbing paint into the canvas with my hands. (see end of new film ‘History and Personal Memories’ to see the process: https://vimeo.com/238843069, 

Artists we discussed and to look at – in the context of looking at artists’ work who were – at one point in their lives - clearly not so concerned what the viewer would say:  Louise Bourgeois (Andrew sent link), also: Matisse, Monet, deKooning, Basquiat…

We discussed the project report and Andrew encouraged me to ‘do with words what I cannot do with paint or with the video’. I am considering writing in German, because I realize there is a huge gap between my use of German and my use of English. Andrew suggested I might want to present the paper in two languages.

Where does the texts in my paintings come from? I have never used text in my work before, but now it felt like an obvious response while reading Foucault. We discussed history of text in painting, I might also want to do more research on this in the next weeks. Andrew recommended to look up artists like Colin McCahon and Nancy Spero (I realize I had seen her work before, just did not remember the name…) who were using text in their paintings or painting words.

It was also important for me to mention the presentation of the work for the MFA exhibition. It would be very important to have a day at least to set up the work. Some months ago, I thought I would present a video for the MFA and maybe bring 1 to 2 paintings. With the new body work though, I feel it would be very important to bring those big canvases (each 8 by 11.5 feet). During the next few weeks I will discuss with my MFA group how we can present our work together in Berlin.

Also look at: John Walker (UK), Robert Motherwell’s Je t’aime paintings, Julian Schnabel,

Andrew asked what I will be working on in the next two months: for the exhibition ‘History and Personal Memory” in February (and for the MFA exhibition) I am working on a new video with the same title. I intend to discuss a raw version of this video with Jean Marie at the beginning of November. I hope I will have a more finished version then for my November 15^th blog and then, most importantly I would like to work on the 5 canvases (all 8 by 11.5) which I have started in the garden during the last 2 months.

One by one I would like to bring them into the studio, like this one, which I think is finished now, and respond to them in the studio, with oil paint, charcoal, oil sticks and pastels, and text. I hope to have these finished by the end of this year.

Video : We talked about whether to use subtitles and we both agreed, that subtitles would only take away from the imagery. A good solution might be, when presenting the film, to provide a text and a translated text, printed on paper.

Thank you for your valuable feedback to my work Andrew.

Ps. Here is the painting which will go into the group exhibition in Edmonton. I will attend the opening on November 1^st.