Leon Löwentraut x Gurgl Carat

Leon Löwentraut: I always describe my style as expressive-abstract. Simply because I paint with very, very bright colors. In general, my pictures are extremely colorful. Apart from the charcoal drawings. And they are of course very creative in the depiction of figures, faces and people. That's why I always underline that my art is expressive-abstract.

Leon Löwentraut: I actually take my inspiration from real life. Because I just find people totally fascinating. I find it fascinating what they say and report... what they simply share about their lives. How people behave in and outside of relationships. I find these different behaviors very, very exciting. And there is something new to discover every day. Different cultures all over the world. No matter which countries I travel to. It's always a huge surprise. No matter how often you have been to a country, you always discover something new. And I think that's what's so fascinating about the world, the cultures and the people. Life is so colorful, so multi-faceted. Every day you have the opportunity to experience something new and meet new people It broadens your spectrum incredibly.

Leon Löwentraut: For me it is always the case that I already have a plan in a certain way. I also know how I approach a picture. However, it is art. It is a creative process. And so much comes to my mind in the moment. When I am painting, something inspires me or thoughts run through my head that I then project onto the canvas. That’s why you cannot say in advance what a painting will look like when it is finished. So much is still happening in the meantime. And there are many influences that then become part of the painting at the end.

Leon Löwentraut: That's a really good question. When is a painting finished? I often have problems deciding when a picture is finished. But sometimes it's quite easy for me. After all, I know my craft. But on the other hand, there are also some paintings that I leave for weeks and months or even years. Then I have to decide: are they really finished for me or not? And there are paintings where I was 100%, or let's say 99%, sure that they were finished. But after 3 years of them being here in the studio, it turns out: no, they are not finished at all for me. And then I suddenly have completely different ideas. It happens that after 3 years, even if it's not a lot, certain influences still come into play on the picture. They change the picture so much that it's only after 3 years, for example, that I say: "Okay, now it's finished for me." So it really is a process of creation over a very, very long period of time.

Leon Löwentraut: Well, I have several approaches. When I start painting a picture, I am already working on the picture in my mind. I plan how I want it to look. Of course there are also paintings where I say: "Erm, I will put that one in the experimental category." Because as an autodidact, I keep discovering new techniques for myself by trying out a lot of things. And then there are also pictures where I say: "Okay, that was a nice try - unfortunately it didn't work out." I have also got to the point where I paint over them completely and create a completely new picture. And that's exciting again as you can't see the first painting. But you can see that there are multiple layers in the background and that something has already happened before. And that also gives a picture new life and a different dynamic.

Leon Löwentraut: That’s difficult, I don't know it off pat. But I would say that paintings have been around for about 5 years.

Leon Löwentraut: Yes, definitely. I would say that self-marketing has always been part of it. It's just a different zeitgeist today. Different media are used today. A lot of things happen online. That's also due to our zeitgeist. Social media is actually our most important topic. It's a perfect way for young artists in particular to present themselves. Not just depending on external media. That's something that makes me think: "The world has really changed a lot." I think it's great that many young, up-and-coming artists now have the great opportunity to present themselves on social media. Just the way they want to. And not only read reports about themselves in the newspaper and be presented with a fait accompli. Artists/media is a really interesting topic: if you take a closer look at it, Dalí and Picasso and Matisse, they also used the media for their own ends back then - just like I do today. But they did it in a different way. Obviously, it was a few days ago when they were in the media spotlight. But that's also the nice thing about it. You can see how art inspires me, how life, people and cultures push me to create art. And it's also really interesting how media develops.

Leon Löwentraut: I think it is very, very important that there are forums for art – just like Gurgl Carat. In this day and age, it is important that art can be experienced and that art is made public. Especially for people out there who are not so art-savvy, in order to open up access to art for all of them. I often have the feeling that art is perceived as a bit like an elitist circle in which only people who know what they are talking about and who have grown up with art across generations are involved. But art is so much more than just “for the elite up there” or for those “who can afford it” and have an understanding of art and are interested in art. I strongly believe that there are a lot of people out there who would be more enthusiastic about art and would also go to exhibitions, if these inhibitions did not exist. The scene is really so multi-faceted. There are so many great, fantastic artists out there. There are so many different styles of art. Be it canvases painted with acrylic colors or oil or watercolors, collages, sculptures, installations, video art... these are all things that make our world much more beautiful. And they bring people together. They help us humans to see certain things from a completely different perspective. And that is simply something that we should truly appreciate - now more than ever before. We should also encourage it. We should introduce our next generation, our children, to art even more.

Leon Löwentraut: I have to be honest, it is always fascinating to see the paintings in a variety of settings. And I am always impressed by how different my pictures look when they are in the studio or even in a gallery, museum or private home. The appearance of art always changes. And that’s why I keep telling people that. The painting has to be appealing, but the surroundings have to be right too - the interior design, the lighting, whether it is hanging in a closed room or in a light-flooded space such as Gurgl Carat. It will be completely different there. I always find that great. Every painting is well thought out, but in the end it’s also a surprise because so much is happening around it. Seeing my pictures in a variety of settings is fabulous... it is always a creative journey that fascinates me.

Interview: Felix Kupfer

Lara Brunner is a freelance copywriter and specialist in content marketing. As a studied Germanist, she writes about all topics related to Gurgl Carat in the Carat.Blog. The Tirolean-by-choice seeks and finds inspiration for her texts amid unspoilt nature in Gurgl. That is why she spends most of her free time in the Ötztal mountains. With hiking boots or on skis, she prefers to explore the many three-thousand meter high summits in the immediate vicinity of Gurgl Carat.