Jon Beinart - "How would you describe your art Madeline?"
Madeline von Foerster - "I make art about this world.
I know that might sound strange, because I paint in a method and style characteristic of five centuries ago. It also might sound strange, because my work is typically classified as surrealist. However, my art is strongly rooted in my own experiences, and the world occurring around me, though I often choose to express these things symbolically."
Beinart - "What else has influenced your art? You said you express yourself symbolically, are many of the symbols you paint rooted in esoteric mythology?"
Madeline von Foerster - "Sometimes my symbolism might come from mythology or esoterica… These sources are deep wells from which to draw! I utilize more archaic symbols when their use will not interfere with the experience of the painting. And occasionally I use images that reference a homemade iconography: for instance, the pair of doves in my trepanation Self Portrait are my own symbol for unity of the spirit and body, since doves mate for life. (I leave birdseed, for a beautiful pair of doves, on my fire escape, and they inspired me.) However, I try to make images that will resonate with any viewer who appreciates them. One needn't know my story about the doves, I hope, to sense their meaning in the painting. Or the viewer could invent his/her own meaning, which would also be valuable.
I am inspired by so much around me — the very experience of life, and the witnessing of life, inspire me. I feel so lucky to be alive in an age where we know of so many beautiful and fantastic things, unimaginable to earlier societies — cloud nebulas, nutrinos, and deep sea creatures. And, of course, those of us alive today have stepped into an unbelievebly exciting artistic heritage! Our task is to continue its evolution… But, I also feel another task is to protect our other inheritance — the environment, and civilized culture. Artists are not exempt from this effort. We must all bring our skills to the table."
Beinart - "Does your environmental concern find expression in your paintings?"
Madeline von Foerster - "Yes, it is a very frequent topic. In some paintings, it is a primary theme, but it also makes an appearance in others where it might not be the main message. My paintings can often be read on several different levels, and so one of those layers might reference our relationship with the earth.
For example, in an old painting of mine, The Shadow, a child crowned, holding a tree, stands adjacent to a child covered in blood. The bloody child is almost invisible, a "shadow" of the first, who is bathed in light. The image is actually inspired by Macbeth, but to me, the crowned child represents America in all our opulence, and the bloody child is somehow the rainforest. We are allowing this part of the planet to be extirpated so we can have cheap hamburgers and furniture. Like Macbeth, our "glory" is bought at too high a price, and we shall likely pay a terrible consequence.
I prefer my paintings to suggest, rather than preach, so I'm sure many other interpretations of that painting are possible. My three year old niece, for instance, is convinced The Shadow is a painting of Spiderman."
Beinart - "Could you list a few artists who have inspired you and explain what you found exciting about their work."
Madeline von Foerster - "Possibly my favorite living painter is Julie Heffernan, because of her stunning craft, and the incredible worlds she creates. She is anachronistic yet iconoclastic at the same time.
I also admire the work of Surrealist painter Leonore Fini. She went through several different "periods" and styles, some of which were better than others, but she created numerous masterpieces.
My grandfather, a great lover of Surrealism (who incidentally, introduced me to Fini's work when I was a child), had a huge painting in his dining room by a French painter named Lamy. It showed a bleak blue landscape supporting a strange bouquet of thistles. One of the blossoms opened to reveal a staring eye… a beautiful painting, which terrified yet compelled me as a child. I was afraid to be alone with the image, but would sneak into the dining room to peek at it and then race out again. I know this painting is the root of much of my interest in the fantastic… It hangs above my own dining table now.
My very good friend, the painter Benjamin Vierling, has also been a constant source of inspiration and much cross-pollination of ideas!
Finally, the artists I spend the most time with are the Flemish Renaissance Masters: van Eyck, Memling, van der Goes, Goessart, and Bosch. It would be incredible to know something more about these artists' inner lives, but all I can do is gaze at their work and guess. Only through the diligence of attempting their technique do I find myself hovering somewhere near an understanding of them. But even that is probably self-indulgent imagining on my part."
Beinart - "Have you come accross any resistance from galleries as a figurative painter with a neo-classical style?"
Madeline von Foerster - "Any painter working in a figurative or neo-classical vein must recognize that their choice is not necessarily "in fashion" at the moment. I consider that an asset and an opportunity, rather than a limitation, for several reasons. First of all, imagine the difficulty of standing out as a painter during, say, the seventeenth century, when all working artists were technical virtuosos! Secondly, by following my own vision, rather than trends, I hope I am creating paintings which will stand the test of time, and not look sadly dated in a few years. Lastly, in our cynical age of ever more digitized mass production, artworks which focus on craft and beauty give people an alternative, an antidote, to the prevailing culture. There will always be certain galleries which recognize and appreciate that, but even if there were not, I wouldn't change what I am doing."
Beinart - "I completely agree Madeline. This is a current fashion and I'm sure history will have a very different perspective. I'm also sure your work will continue to attract the attention of galleries and collectors. Thank you so much for this interview Madeline! Do you have any exciting news for our readers?"
Madeline von Foerster - "Yes! I am very excited to announce my upcoming show, WALDKAMMER. It will be at Strychnin Gallery Berlin, this November. The paintings will explore my fascination with Cabinets of Curiosities, but I've manipulated this theme, to create images about deforestation and the threatened natural world. (The title means "Forest Cabinet.") Strychnin Gallery will also be showing my work at Art 21Cologne, in October.
I have made a "studio visit" web-page, for those who would like to get a sneak preview of this new series! However, it is not linked to from outside, so interested parties must email me at baphomatty(at)earthlink.net, for the address.
I have also recently completed the "Technique" page of my website, if anyone would care to know more about the oil and egg-tempera method I use in my paintings. Please visit www.madelinevonfoerster.com to have a look.
Thank you very much for the interview Jon, and keep up your amazing work with beinArt… it is a portal to many wonderous Universes."
Madeline von Foerster is one of 50 artists featured in Metamorphosis 2 (beinArt Publishing)
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