ABSTRACT OR FIGURATIVE

People often ask me whether I paint abstract or figurative?

This has been the reason for asking myself, do I paint abstract or figurative?

When I paint, I abstract from basically nothing. I put colours on the surface of support. I put two, three, one or four colours, separated or together, fat or thin, with a brush or palette knife, on wood or canvas. There is nothing abstract!

Do I paint figurative?

Yes, if one takes the colour and the work as an object. The colour is part of painting, the colour and the painting are objects. So I am a figurative painter. For sure I’m not producing images, while I paint.

What is painting?

People say painting is putting colours with brush, knife or other tool on a surface.

True. Painting is good or bad, with or without motive, cold or hot, large or small – just colours on a surface.

Thanks for help realizing this text to Stefan Schessl, Prof. Bernhard Lypp and Marion Sally Amy Whyte