Interview with Björn Bauer

"I firmly believe that every image somehow inspires a real thought, emotion, or question. Learning to interpret those meanings helps me live in closer harmony with myself and the world, and I hope to inspire others to find their own way."

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Why did you decide to pursue a career in the arts?

For as long as I can remember, all I ever wanted to do was make pictures. As a teenager, I decided it would be a good idea to have a job that had something to do with art, so I decided to become an art teacher. It turned out to be a really good fit for me because teaching eventually helped me become a better artist. My love for the creative process and creating images drives me to stay in this field; it really doesn't seem to make sense for me to do anything else.

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What inspires you to do your work every day?

I love to complete things. Accomplishing something to some degree is exciting in and of itself, and it's often the impetus to start something new. That being said, music is my creative fuel. It is an obsession that not only helps me find a creative rhythm but also gives me a level of creative impact to strive for. If I can make an image that moves someone the way music moves me, then I've done my job. In a direct visual sense, I take inspiration from all kinds of directions. It could be a certain composition or color palette in a film or the way sunlight creates interesting shapes with shadows on a wall. I try to be open to everything around me, and often the least expected sources provide the most intriguing ideas.

What themes do you explore in your art, and why is that important to you?

I am interested in reflecting on life as we know it today. So I deliberately look for visual cues that relate to current things like digital interfaces or some of the glitches that accompany them, like broken screens. I want to offer people something new that they can relate to different experiences, feelings, ideas, or memories. I think this is important because the best art is impressive not only in terms of its effect on our senses but also in its relationship to our place in the world and its history.

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What aspect of the creative process do you like best?

I love getting into a creative flow where time and space become secondary. That's where my best work comes from. That's why I structure my work so that I can reach that state as often as possible. That's one reason why I usually work on several paintings at once. This forces me to make a series of decisions, and I hope that this will start a creative chain reaction.

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How would you describe your technique?

I fluctuate between thoughtful deliberation and an almost frantic stream of consciousness. I let myself go to create something wild and chaotic, then I slow down and try to find a way to transform the chaos into something I've never seen before.

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Do you start your work with a preconceived concept or idea of what you want to achieve, or is the outcome unexpected?

Almost never. I may have a vague idea of what I want to make. Maybe a certain textural technique or color scheme. But I know that each painting has a life and evolution of its own. So I fully expect my plans to be thwarted and end up with something completely different than what I had in mind. I try to accept that and just follow each painting wherever it takes me.

How do you know or decide when a piece of art is finished?

I spend a lot of time staring at each piece, trying to figure it out. It helps to take it out of the studio and live with it for a while. If it feels too familiar, I reject it. If it surprises me in some way, then it has a chance.

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What other creative people, books, music, or movies inspire you?

It changes often, and the list of people is very long, but lately, I've been listening to the Japanese band Boris quite a bit. I love their unpredictability and idiosyncratic approach to producing albums. They don't allow themselves to be pinned down to a specific genre but are dedicated to building these wonderful walls of noise. I recently saw a retrospective of Heidi Bucher's work. I was really impressed by her use of textures on such a large scale (she made impressions of entire buildings with latex) and by the emotional resonance her method creates.

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Do you have certain rituals or indispensable objects in the studio?

Apart from putting on my headphones and deciding on an album, not really. I just try to get to work quickly so I'm not distracted by another task.

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Do you work with real-life examples, or are your works mainly based on fantasy?

I don't know if I do either of those things exactly. I start by applying paint to the surface and kind of moving it around. Once I have something to react to, I imagine what the next steps might be, so there is some fantasy involved. The paintings are usually based on a series of reactions to an image that I improvised.

How do you come up with the titles of your artworks?

Sometimes a word or phrase just comes to me, but most of the time, I have to do a little searching. Maybe I browse a dictionary or Wikipedia for interesting terms. Sometimes I read scientific texts on a subject I don't really understand but which might have a parallel to the painting. It's easy to be lazy when titling abstract images, but I think it's worth allowing the image to stimulate me in further exploration.

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Would you tell us more about your current project? What are you working on?

I am currently planning two collaborative exhibitions, both of which will have a sound component. The first will be in Munich and the UK and will explore the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants. The second is planned for Berlin and explores the idea of creating a state of deeper awareness through a combination of seeing and hearing. We are still in the planning and fundraising phase for these projects, and the pandemic has complicated things even more, but I hope that we will be able to realize both projects in the next two to three years.

Where would you like to exhibit someday and why?

I think Vienna would be an exciting place for an exhibition because that's where my favorite art museums are. But I think I would especially like to exhibit my work in unusual buildings or structures, in something different from the usual gallery spaces. I think that would open up opportunities to create a more impactful and expressive experience.

Where do you see your career as an artist in five years?

My goal is to begin the next set of projects by then, hopefully on a larger and more ambitious scale. I love the idea of continuing to collaborate with musicians, but that could expand into mediums like video or light installations. I want to see what else can be done to present my paintings in new and unusual ways. I feel that abstract art is often presented in a way that is pretentious and out of touch. I want to look for ways to show art that is not only accessible but also undeniable.

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Visit the website of Björn Bauer now:

https://bjornbauerart.com/