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Spraygraphic Interview with Artist Heiko Muller
By Spraygraphic | December 3, 2008
Spraygraphic Interview with Heiko Muller
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
HM: I live with my two sons and my wife in a small village near Hamburg. There are many forests, fields and animals in our vicinity – exactly the inspiration I am searching for. I’ve studied children’s book Illustration, but I was never really interested in the whole children’s book thing. The professor was outstanding, though. Drawing and painting have always been pretty important in my life. I have two much older brothers, who used to paint and draw and I tried to emulate this. For some reason their interest waned at some stage. Luckily mine didn’t. I making my living with designing websites and other interactive media, so I only have time for drawing and painting at night or on weekends. That’s why I’m not excessively productive and only make one bigger exhibition every year.
SG: Where do you currently work?
HM: A good friend of mine cleaned out a very comfortable corner of his studio for me. I use this two evenings a week for working on large oil paintings. Weekends I usually spend a couple of hours in my small basement studio where I elaborate on new ideas and do a lot of drawing.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
HM: I’m pretty limited in this respect. I like to draw with coloured Prismacolor pencils on heavy paper and to use oil paint on wood or canvas. At the moment I’m not really interested in other media, which is a bit of a pity, as I have to turn down those galleries that include murals or installations in their concepts. I admire artists like Moki or Chris Ryniak who are extremely proficient in this area as well.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
HM:To be honest, I’d prefer to keep the details to myself. I consider it important to look at art without preconceptions. Without thinking all the time about the processes and techniques that may be behind it.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
HM: Usually I’m working in phases, which may last for one or two years. On my website you’ll find my pictures sorted by years; if you have a look, you might get an idea of what I mean. In 2006 and 2007 I made quite a lot of black and white drawings, most of them done rather quickly. That’s how I collected a great number of ideas. By the end of 2007 I started to do more intricate pictures of mixed media, which very often built on these ideas. This phase will last until I feel the urge to collect new ideas. Like this, you get around blocks pretty well.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
HM: At the moment I’m inspired by the landscape that surrounds me: the woods on my front door, the wild willows, the dunes and the sea. I want to capture the emotions that these things trigger. On top of that I own a large collection of old illustrated animal books, which serves as a frequent inspiration.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
HM: My home base is the gallery Feinkunst Krüger in Hamburg. Here’s where I present my work several times a year in varying constellations. It’s also the place where I curate the annual group show Don’t Wake Daddy. On top of that I participate in up to 12 group shows a year. Recently most of them took place in the US, for instance in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
HM: At the moment seven shows are scheduled: Don’t Wake Daddy III in Hamburg, then a December group show in Copenhagen, February will see exhibitions in Glasgow and Barcelona. In March I will take part in a group show in LA, which Lola will curate, and in October I’ll have a solo exhibition in the Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco. For 2010, I’m planning a joint exhibition with my favourite artists Till Gerhard and Henning Kles here in Hamburg.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
HM: Luckily I dream of other things than assignments.
SG: What is your favorite color?
HM: Dark red, turquoise and gold.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
HM: Cy Twombly is the greatest living painter for me. Of the ones I know personally, it’s Till Gerhard. It means a lot to me that I’m able to work with him in one studio.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
HM: I just purchased Richard Brautigan’s “The Hawkline Monster” on eBay. That’s on my reading list for this week. No magazines planned for the moment.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
HM: I once did a self portrait for the book “The Darkening Garden” (Payseur & Schmidt). No one wants to buy it; at the moment it’s stored in a backroom at Feinkunst Krüger.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
HM: I love to hang out with my wife and kids. No matter where.
SG: Any final words of advice?
HM: Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t forget to think of those who aren’t as fortunate as you.
Additional Links:
www.flickr.com/photos/heikomueller
www.myspace.com/pxp_guy
Topics: Animal Art, Artist Interviews, International-Art, Paintings |
December 4th, 2008 at 11:29 am
oh wow. not something i would hang in my home but totally interesting. i especially love the multi colored dots that bring all the pieces together.
I just added him as a friend on flickr!
thanks for sharing!
December 4th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
i love his artwork
December 5th, 2008 at 9:04 am
good artist, love the looseness in his works on paper.
Go Heiko!