Thorsten Brinkmann
The Great Cape Rinderhorn 4 February - 15 May 2016
I don't go somewhere to search, cos if you search things you don't find them.
So, I go mostly and then I get surprised of what I find there.
I have things in my mind but I never would say
I need this certain king of chair or that king of chair, or something...
Then I would really be too focused on something
and not be open on other things what I see or what I really like.
I found something from the 60's.
To lose weight... These things with the belt.
You put on around your hip and then it starts to shake you.
Pretty, kind of, nice.
I mean it was not my plan to find it but now I picked it up and I'll see what I can do with it.
I'm always very open to what happens, I mean like, by coincidence.
In German there's a word, it's called "zufall" what means it comes to you, you don't plan it.
And that's really... It just describes this quite well.
When I began to study art I was really into performance art from the 70's.
but I never wanted to be, kind of, performance artist
because that is really hard to tell: it's you as an artist or it's the work interesting.
I made one self-portrait which was called "Carry as much as you can and want".
So I tried to carry as much as I can and then I put something on my head,
and so that was a way not showing my face, and using my body somehow for the art.
The play is a big part of it because when you play - you find new things.
That's how I found really important aspect in my work.
I would say, it took me six weeks to instill the piece.
I start and then I change.
And I see what's happening and then I react on this "what's happening".
Takes more time, but it's more interesting and then it's more individual for me.
Great horn.
I do collect objects or work with objects, used objects, found objects
since I'm studying, like so, I began in 15-16 years ago, to work with that kind of material.
I still like the idea that you can really get to stuff, keep it cheap and make art.
I just like that idea and changed the meaning of objects, change valued of it.
I did have an old camera with 10 seconds self timer.
It made me make a movie about it.
About this posing and not finding the right position...
So I made a movie about a king who's failing completely with his positions.
I mean it's also kind of a flash on old master paintings and if really like a high reputation
and they're kind of authority as well.
So I really like us to play with these authorities in art.
I think this huge window.
It's like already the whole thing is on stage.
It's not like: open a door and then you come in.
So you see, all of sudden, is a big space already when you come around the corner.
I got once a crate back from Mexico, from an expression. A really big one.
I just had the idea that you can move into this crate
and you can discover a space is what you don't see at all.
It makes you feel you are in a completely different location, all of a sudden.
So you have an experience not just by your eyes...
It's a full body experience somehow.
So, you have to walk through, you have to move and some people feel like kids again.
So, it's very playful.
It's scene of fun.
I mean, I like humor in my work and I have to do this more than...
I don't know, thirty forty years or something.
So, I have to entertain myself somehow.