Ariane Ahlmann

My work addresses the dark side of human nature with a focus on the abuse of power. Even though I explore the universal and timeless aspects of human behavior and their interconnections, my paintings are not detached from contemporary urgent matters. The man-made challenges that we face in the 21 st century, such as climate change, the decline of democracy and wars are recurrent themes of my work. In contrast to the dark subject matter I include symbols of hope and positivity.

My work addresses the dark side of human nature with a focus on the abuse of power. Even though I explore the universal and timeless aspects of human behavior and their interconnections, my paintings and sculptures are not detached from contemporary urgent matters. The man-made challenges that we face in the 21st century, such as climate change, the decline of democracy, and wars are recurrent themes of my art. I combine modern and postmodern concepts in my work such as the dissolution of the linear and coherent narrative by selecting seemingly random visual fragments. With the title as the only concrete hint, I give the viewer the freedom to make sense of these fragments and to interpret the content on his own. I have an automatic approach, which is guided by an intuitive logic and subconscious vision. This technique gives me the freedom to channel my thoughts, our human struggles and fears. I use the two-dimensional concept of space. In addition, I evoke a certain spatial depth through incorrect or multiple perspectives, distorted scale relations, and superimpositions as a way to reflect the many layers of reality. Loose brushstrokes and random color fields are set in contrast to precise graphics, such as speech bubbles and text. This Apollonian-Dionysian concept of rationality versus irrationality runs through my work like a thread. My pictorial repertoire is a mixture of figures, animals, and objects. Many of these components are recurrent and symbolically charged. Text fragments and numbers play an important role as well and address recurring themes of my work. The characters of my paintings - often hideously masked figures - are in a state of limbo, and their actions are unclear to us. It is a reference to the complexity of human behavior.