EMANUEL EHGARTNER | MINIMAL CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE AUSTRIA
IN CONVERSATION WITH DOMINIQUE FOERTIG | EPISODE ONE | INTRODUCTION
Minimal, varnish and steal are the drive of his awesome artworks. We are working on an update on Munchies after the corona lockdown and show now a complex new side from the artist. It's episode one of two and this blog is about introduction.
A warm up and a meet and greet. Part of an interview with him , details of his work and the material he uses, his influences and furture projects.
Munchies art Club welcomes Emanuel Ehgartner. He was a student of the University of Applied Arts, in Vienna. He studied Arts in the photography department, he took part in the transart department and finally in the sculptur class of Hans Schabus. We interviewed the artist to get more insight on the way he works.
I ASKED EMANUEL SOME QUESTIONS AND THIS IS WHAT HE ANSWERED
Who are you?
Who am I? Well, I grew up in the countryside with absolutely no contact to art or culture. I teach art and handicrafts at a school in St. Pölten now, but try to be in the studio as much as possible. I like cycling, hiking, cooking, yoga and climbing ;)
When and how did you realise that you are an artist?
Really tough question. Maybe it was around 2012 when I realized that I wanted to overcome tradional photography and got interested in sculpture.
Which artists have influenced you?
From a formal point of view my biggest influence are artists like Meuser, Bill Bollinger, Carl Andre, Richard Serra or John Chamberlain. But I read a lot of interviews and theoretical writings by Lawrence Weiner and John Baldessari.
This two artist are definitely my idols! And then there artists like Ellsworthy Kelly or Blinky Palermo who I adore for their use of colors...
Which is your favorite piece and why?
Probably A 36" X 36" REMOVAL TO THE LATHING OR SUPPORT WALL OF PLASTER OR WALLBOARD FROM A WALL - by Lawrence Weiner. You see how you already start to construct the piece in your mind just by reading the words? Its wonderful...
Where do you create?
My studio is in the 20. district of Vienna - Brigittenau. I share it with a few guys - designers and musician, mostly. Its not a classic studio, more like a workshop...
Who are you?
Who am I? Well, I grew up in the countryside with absolutely no contact to art or culture. I teach art and handicrafts at a school in St. Pölten now, but try to be in the studio as much as possible. I like cycling, hiking, cooking, yoga and climbing ;)
What is your creative process?
I can be inspired by almost everything: a construction site, a heavy machinery, a cantilever, mostly industrial and technical objects. First I take a picture as a sketch and in the studio I try to examine the structures and transform it into a minimal sculpture.
Do you have a favorite quote
„If there is a bowl of fruit, why do you pick the banana and not the apple"? You just have this intuitive sense over the years of making choices, and art-making essentially is that. You choose this thing over that thing. (...) You begin to develop a kind of instinct that I want that and not this." John Baldessari
Did the environment you grew up in have an influence on your work?
On a subconscious level, maybe. I grew up in a small village with working class people. I sometimes think that I choose my materials in regard to understandability. Because everyone knows the structures I am using...
What is your relationship with social media?
I use instagram a lot since a greek friend suggested it to me in 2017. You can make quite a nice portfolio of your work as an artist. I post my artworks as well as sketches, inspirations and images of the working process.
What makes you laugh?
Early Simpsons-Episodes and Monty Python sketches
Do you wanna know more about the artist? Go to his profil on munchies art club or but your name on our newsletter! Part two is a studio visit with more hot topics aroun emanuel Ehgartner. Stay tuned.....
