Der Ackermann (series)
2018, paper, charcoal, various sizes
At the beginning of this work series stands „darkness“ as a symbol of seclusion and anxiety. It not only refers to the mental and spiritual state of a person, but also includes the external conditions of the social environment or natural surroundings that determine this state. The Carinthian part of the Austrian Alps is the scenic symbol of this emotional state. This work focuses on the special, reduced state of human existence: where man has to survive as a part of nature among many other parts, external conditions determine his existence. Being exposed to the forces of nature in the Alpine region requires a close coexistence of man and animal and man and nature. The body is the carrier material of existence. Soul and spirit are peripheral phenomena and man counts exclusively as a working and surviving part of nature. Hard physical work, together with monotony and isolation characterises the course of the year. A haze lies over the spirit. An emptiness, a non-thinking and non-feeling takes place. Mental dullness and spiritual barrenness – DARKNESS.
