YURY KHARCHENKO
Markus Vater
London, UK
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London, UK
Published 04/08/2015 | Updated 05/01/2016
Shall I call him a German artist in London or a British artist with German roots?
Markus Vater moved into his studio in 2004 after his residency at Villa Romana, Florence. He was a guest professor at the Hamburg Art Academy and is currently teaching at the Royal College in London. He seems to have settled into a very productive working environment, which is evident by the number of works he completes.
He calls this,...
Shall I call him a German artist in London or a British artist with German roots?
Markus Vater moved into his studio in 2004 after his residency at Villa Romana, Florence. He was a guest professor at the Hamburg Art Academy and is currently teaching at the Royal College in London. He seems to have settled into a very productive working environment, which is evident by the number of works he completes.
He calls this, his studio for “dirty work”. In fact, he works with extremely runny colours. At first he applies them on a canvas lying on the floor, then he puts the canvas upright. In almost all of his paintings I can see human beings. “My issue is not painting, but glances” Markus explains. He stops painting when he sees a personality and no longer an object. “Impressionistic research is important to me. My paintings are shimmering. It happens in the mind, not on the canvas,” he says and shows us another painting demonstrating this technique. I also found that light is a big issue in Markus Vater’s paintings, be it bright or dim.
Besides the paintings he does sculptures and in particular large size drawings. “The race between a bullet and a thought” is a typical example. In the drawings you can see his Kippenberger-like humor.
One project he working on “will never be finished in my lifetime” he says. It’s the portrait of all people he has ever met, which he paints from memory.
“Vater” means “father”, so the painting showing Markus Vater’s father standing at the end of a rainbow is a very personal and touching, yet cryptic work.
To see the complexity of Markus Vaters work, visit his website. It´s also entertaining. You will love it!
What is it about your studio space that inspires you?
The light and the people.
What sounds, scents and sights do you encounter while in your studio?
When I paint large paintings I like music, but not at the beginning. When I want to visit the past and need some anger or determination.
What is your favourite material to work with? How has your use of it evolved throughout your practice?
Expectations.
What themes do you pursue?
No themes, but it is important to keep feeling! Otherwise all is lost.
What advice has had the biggest impact on your career?
"Celebrate Your talents!" by Billy Childish.
If you could install your art absolutely anywhere, where would that be?
MI5 Building in London.
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
"Attempting the impossible" by Rene Magritte.
If you weren´t an artist, what would you be doing?
Be a doctor.
What are your favourite places besides your studio?
A plum tree near the house where I grew up in the Eiffel. A seat near the window of a french Bistro near my studio with a view onto the entrance of the Clapham Picturehouse Cinema. A little hill in the centre of Battersea Park, when the sun sets in early summer.
