»Je est un autre. I is another«[1] (with thanks to Rimbaud and in memory of Carl Rotky)
As defined by Arthur Rimbaud in his writings of 1871, »[…] It is wrong to say: I think; one ought to say I am being thought. […]«[2] not only the reflection of the other party determines our consciousness/awareness, there not only remains intellectual manipulation, but present technology enables to specify, respectively manipulate, physical existence of mankind from the bottom. It is only then possible for me to appreciate as positive that my personality is specified by the reflection of others, when I am able to regard the other person as a reflection of my authentic self, when I identify myself as spiritual descendant of my granduncle, the painter Carl Rotky. The thought will be a negative one as soon as the individual is defined by the others, especially when that means manipulation of emotional and physical images. Diversity and characteristics are the means of universal unity. Nature itself, the landscape itself, does not contain any straight line, any artificial composition – its beauty can exclusively be seen in apparent disarrangement. That might be referred to human beings, as well. If you want to refer those ideas to my oeuvre it represents the following scene: the landscape of my granduncle – in reminiscence of his nature – is located in the background of the painting (Abendhimmel by Carl Rotky). The present, and with it my artwork, is put in the foreground. The „imperfect“ person cut out in the foreground as in a setting, reminiscence of nature, landscape and its viewer, is perfect in her incompletion, in her fortunate diversity.
[1] Wikipedia: »Arthur Rimbaud«, in: Wikipedia. Die freie Enzyklopädie (03.04.2014), online unter: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rimbaud (23.04.2014), Arthur Rimbaud: Original franz. »Je est un autre«. Brief an Paul Demeny, 15. Mai 1871, zweiter Seherbrief
[2] Schantl, Alexandra: »„Ich ist ein anderer“. Die Kunst der Selbstdarstellung«, in: Raumtexte zur Ausstellung. LAMUN – Landesmuseum Niederösterreich. Ausstellungskatalog (25.09.2010-26.04.2011), online unter: http://www.landesmuseum.net/de/ausstellungen/rueckblick/2010/ich-ist-ein-anderer-die-kunst-der-selbstdarstellung/ich-ist-ein-anderer/Raumtexte_Ich%20ist%20ein_2.pdf (23.04.2014)