Interview: Andreas Golder

Andreas Golder: Reichbleichgold, 2007. 200 x 180 cm. Oil, acrylic, lacquer on canvas

(In front of Reichbleichgold)

It seems almost totally abstract to me, but most of your other paintings are more like a combination between abstraction and figuration?

Well it is actually not that abstract because it is a shape of a palette. But it is interesting that you see it as an abstract piece, because that was also what interested me in this case.

It is abstract but it is also something.

Andreas Golder: Rosa Quadrat, 2007. 50 x 40 cm. Oil, lacquer, metalpigment & cigeratte on canvas		Andreas Golder: Etwa 70 cigaretten, 2007. 50 x 40 cm. Oil, lacquer, metalpigment, cigerattes & matches on canvas

(In front of Rosa Quadrat and Etwa 70 cigaretten lang)

What about these 2 small paintings?

This one is like Malevich´s Black Square, but I wanted to make it in pink, because pink is like an ”unholy” color I think. Also because of my Russian roots I did it in gold like the Russian icons. The other one with the cigarettes I did, because people ask me: ”how long does it take to do a painting?”. So this is the answer: 70 cigarettes long!

So in fact you are a very traditional painter, who refers to other painters throughout history?

Yeah, sure. You cannot run away from tradition! A lot of people try but you cannot do it – painting comes from painting.

Do your Russian roots have any particular effect on your work?

I learned a lot in Russia because I went to a school, which was for specially gifted children. In the morning we had normal school and afterwards we had art school for very small children. So of course I learned about Russian painting there and it was in a very academic way of learning how to paint and so. Then I had to get rid of it in Germany...

Andreas Golder: DiscoSchnupfen, 2007. 200 x 180 cm. Oil, acrylic, lacquer on canvas

(In front of DiscoSchnupfen)

In this painting we see the cigarettes again...?

It is called DiscoSchnupfen. Do you know what that is? It means to snuffle. So DiscoSchnupfen is for sure after you have been taking illegal substances.

The painting is a kind of reference to the Club Rio in Berlin. It used to be a very nice place.

Are you doing a lot of clubbing?

Well, not for 2 weeks now... That is why I made this other painting Discoveteran. As you see he cannot be in the game anymore – it is over.

Why are there cigarettes in so many of your works?

Because I am a heavy smoker! They are necessary for me in the studio! Without them I cannot paint. Is that a reason? No. Yeah, sorry I do not really know why.

Andreas Golder: Drama im Pyjama, 2007. 200 x 180 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas Andreas Golder: Wäschekammer, 2007. 200 x 180 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas

(In front of Drama im Pyjama and Wäschekammer)

This one is a tribute to Francis Bacon. I use a lot of things he used to use: like the splash and the mouth. In the painting next to it (to the right of Francis) I had this stupid idea to do some abstract expressionism but in a three-dimensional space – still to create like an illusion; therefore you see this pink line as it was hanging somewhere.

There is a funny contrast between total chaos and the recognizable...?

But this is the topic for a painter you know, because people immediately start to talk about the story in a painting or whatever. For me in the studio what are interesting are space, color and contrast. Do I use it or not – and that is it.

Andreas Golder: Fun`n`Games, 2007. 200 x 180 cm & 50 x 40 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas Andreas Golder: Fun`n`Games, 2007. 200 x 180 cm & 50 x 40 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas

(In front of Fun`n`Games)

Tell me about your relation to Guns N' Roses?

I started to listen to them again – it is not a tribute to them – I just like the lyrics. They remind me a lot of Berlin, so I thought I could use it. There was this Party Broken Hearts Club in Berlin and they had this cheesy heavy metal party. It was like a joke, so everybody showed up like Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Iron Maiden, because secretly people still like them!

Andreas Golder: Ja das klingt ja gut, bei mir auch alles tuti, 2006. 40 x 50 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas		Andreas Golder: Schlimmer wird nicht mehr, 2006. 160 x 155 cm. Oil, lacquer on canvas