Odes to Everyday Life
Interview with artist Marlon Wobst
The art of adding something new to the “old game” of painting is a crucial part of the German artist Marlon Wobst’s practice. For him, making art is an infinite universe that he keeps challenging and exploring. His works are odes to everyday life in which he seeks out the simpleness – both in life and in art. He doesn’t seek perfection. Rather, he believes that great art is a product of failing and realizing its beauty and uniqueness in its imperfection. We met with Marlon Wobst, who is currently having a solo show ‘L’Oasi’ at Galerie Maria Lund in Paris.
Your works often revolve around seemingly simple objects or situations, it seems, however, that you always add a personal twist. What kind of stories do you seek to tell with your works?
My works are odes to everyday life. It is mostly about catching the right moment, regarding the basic laws of painting – color and composition have to be convincing. The story around this moment is non-existent, it is unconsciously made up by the observer. I really tend to keep it simple.
Your main medium is painting. What makes this your favorite medium of expression?
I have been working regularly with oil colors since I was sixteen years old and I am still exploring the countless possibilities in that field. It is an infinite universe. Also, it is a challenge to add something new to this very old game.
What are you currently interested in and how does it feed into your creative process?
The thing right now for me is switching in between painting and working with ceramics. The two mediums touch each other in various moments and give me fresh views on both techniques. Colors, forms, figures appear, disappear, fill whole canvases or leave them in empty color fields again.
Where does the process begin for you?
That is hard to answer. It could have been my birth. Or every time I put the first color on the canvas. Or something in between.
How many projects do you work on at the same time?
In terms of exhibitions, I try to finish one body of work before I start working on the next one. But I am working on probably twenty or thirty paintings the same time. And, of course, plenty of sculptures.
What makes something art?
If it is done without the idea of making business behind it. If it is done for the love of it. If it is a product of failing and realizing its beauty and uniqueness in its imperfection.
Who, or what, has been the biggest influence on your work to date?
Back in my studying times, realizing that there was a gap in between what I wanted to paint and what I was able to paint. I since then started from the bottom again with very simple forms and little colors, but always with a certain kind of easy content, and that grew to what it is today.
Being based in Berlin, how do you experience the city’s art scene? What is your relationship to collectors? Do you often get approached directly by collectors interested in your work?
There is a lot going on, countless projects and off spaces run by people from all over the world next to world leading galleries, all in one big city. Super exciting!
I meet collectors in my studio every once in a while, but I only sell trough my galleries. Of course I am happy to welcome people which are interested in what I am doing.
Can you tell us about any current and upcoming projects that you are working on at the moment?
Right now, I’m having a solo show called ‚L’Oasi‘, named after my preferred public beach close to Marina di Carrara in Italy, at the Galerie Maria Lund in Paris. Next year I will have my third solo show with Galleri KANT in Copenhagen in May and another solo show at a Kunstverein in Germany in the summertime 2018.
Where do you see the art world heading and where do you see yourself in this?
There will be ups and downs as always. I will keep on working on my thing – what else can I do?
CV
1980 born in Wiesbaden
2005 – 2008 Art at the Kunsthochschule Mainz
2008 – 2011 Art at the UdK Berlin
2010 Absolvent / UdK Berlin
2011 Meisterschüler at Robert Lucander / UdK Berlin
Represented at:
KANT, Copenhagen
Schwarz Contemporary, Berlin
Selected exhibitions
2017
L’Oasi, Galerie Maria Lund, Paris, F (solo)
wet ya whistle, Galleri KANT, Kopenhagen, DK
alles oder immer, curated by Oliver Mark, Schau Fenster, Berlin
extra, SCHWARZ CONTEMPORARY, Berlin (solo, Katalog)
Laub, Nordheimer Scheune, Nordheim (solo)
Golden Ass, Laden Fuer Nichts, Leipzig
BIRD / PLANE, New Release Gallery, NYC (with Max Heiges, Elizabeth Glaessner and Emma Kohlmann)
2016
Wilhelm Screams, The Landing Strip, Berlin (with Cornelia Balthes and Maarten van Roy)
Animal Farm, Helsinki Contemporary, Helsinki, FI (solo, with Roland Persson)
Selected Paintings, Galleri KANT, Kopenhagen, DK (with Ida Kvetny & Mie Olise Kjægaard)
Twister, Galleri KANT, Kopenhagen, DK (solo)
Twister @ Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Kopenhagen, DK (solo, Katalog)
2015
Starter, Galerie Maria Lund, Paris, F (solo)
The Island Show, KANTtemporary, Fanø, DK
BERLINROMA, Galerie Patrick Ebensperger, Berlin
the island show, KANTtemporary, Fanø, DK
by-products, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin (Katalog)
new figuration, Galleri Kant, Kopenhagen, DK
Kondition, SCHWARZ CONTEMPORARY, Berlin (solo)
-ndo, Museo Jorge Rando, Málaga, Spain
Das Vierte Person Problem, with Henning Kles, Lawrence Power and Moritz Schleime, Feinkunst Krüger, Hamburg
AUA, Westwerk, Hamburg
Tattoo, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg
Happy Endings, Neu West Berlin
Spring Exhibition, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, DK (Katalog)
2014
SPARE KING, Galerie Kant, Copenhagen / DK (solo)
Ich geh in den Tannenwald, denn meine Pillen wirken bald, Projektraum VENTILATOR, Berlin
Club der Delusionäre / Lobotom II, Doppelzimmer, Berlin
Brücke im Dschungel, Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz, Berlin
Helloween, Idling Gallery, Berlin
Was uns Trend, Kunstraum Bethanien, Berlin
Leipzig und Mainz, Klasse Meller & Klasse Berning, Spinnerei, Leipzig
Mal wieder Freitag der 13., The idling Gallery, Berlin
Übersee, Sound of Mu, Markveien 58, 0550 Oslo
HERE AND NOW. UND DIE FERNE WIRD ZUR NÄHE, Perla-Mode, Brauerstrasse 37, 8004 Zürich
& Winterhalder-Areal, Werdstrasse 126, 8003 Zürich / CH (Katalog)
Made in Balmoral, Schloss Balmoral, Bad Ems (Katalog)
2013
Skin to Skin – über Haut und Häute, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, CH
Imaginäre Lösungen III, Munikat, München
Batman Elektronik, Galerie Mikael Andersen, Berlin
Imaginäre Lösungen – In diesem Sinne I, Kosmetiksalon Babette, Berlin
Tinta Fresca, Galeria Transversal, São Paulo, Brasilien
Junge Positionen, Galerie Rigassi, Bern, CH
Synekdoche, Freies Museum Berlin
Brand, Schwarz Contemporary, Berlin (solo)