Page 5 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 21
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About the Artist
Ar�st Statement
Jens Wolf (Germany)
Water colour by Rusudan Gotsiridze (Tbilisi)
Fundamental decisions
I have always painted
Even as a small child, I found pencils, paints and
white paper fascina�ng. But it was at the age of
12, when I stood in front of a portrait by Emil
Nolde, that pain�ng made its way into my The risks of encounter
consciousness – and probably into my “You have to paint ten pictures and throw nine
subconscious as well. During a life crisis, away.” That was the advice given to me by the
Nolde’s strongly expressive pain�ng reached painter Emil Wachter from Baden when we
my wounded soul. And out of those depths met on the island of Patmos. It was only as
there then arose the first pictures, which had �me passed that I came to understand him.
nothing to do with children’s pain�ng – There lies the piece of white paper,
watercolours, charcoal and crayon drawings, encouraging and challenging. I take up the
and soon also oil pain�ngs. challenge, begin without a sketch, draw with
52 years ago, I made the three fundamental thick graphite, paint with a broad brush. Every
decisions for my life – I decided on a living faith �me this happens, it is like a leap on a
in God, I married my wife Chris�ane, and we �ghtrope, like a dialogue between the
became members of a Chris�an community in materials and myself. I’m not in control of
Gnadenthal in Taunus. Young, idealis�c, devout colour or paper, not every picture is successful,
– that was how we were, and suddenly it correc�ons are almost impossible on
seemed that the “old pictures” no longer fi�ed handmade paper. In these processes I
in with the new life. It was only in the course of understand what is meant when we say that
the years – and with the inevitable crises – that one does not always have to do everything
I found a way of connec�ng with old roots. Out right in life, but that one has to make a new
of the depths of the unconscious, pain�ng once start again.
again rose up as my personal way of expressing
the reality of life and faith. A long �me elapsed The freedom of longing
before I found the path from the word to the The moment when the Jewish ar�st Jehuda
picture. It is not in a diary, but in a sketchbook, Bacon commented on one of my pain�ngs with
that I respond to biblical texts and messages. I these words, “One can see that you have
formulate prayers not only with words, but expended much effort”, brought the release of
o�en with forms and colours. new crea�vity. Challenges, successes, crises
Solo exhibi�on “Reflec�on” at “The Balcony Gallery of “Jerusalem Theater” (2011)
