Conrad Schirmann: Light, Depth and the Magic of Chance

"Art must establish truth in the soul and the world
– it is a mirror, a riddle, a reaction."
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797–1848)

"Amidst the imposing mountain landscapes of the Dolomites, Conrad Schirmann, born in 1957 on the Baltic coast of Kiel, has found his artistic home there. As a counterbalance to the high mountains of the Fassa Valley in Trentino, northern Italy, he is drawn to the sea on the Mediterranean coasts.

Schirmann learned the art of "capturing moods" from his father Heinrich, a passionate amateur photographer, at an early age. Together they explored nature, always searching for special moments of light and shadow. These early experiences, especially at dusk, shaped his fascination with the nuances of light and the depth of shadows in the landscape. This sensitivity runs like a thread through his work.

After a period of life full of adventure – travels through Greece and Morocco, as well as his first professional steps in Munich – Schirmann established contacts with renowned artists and gallery owners who influenced his creative path. In particular, his friendship with the art dealer and gallery owner Otto Stangl, as well as the works of the artist group ZERO and its contemporary greats such as Otto Piene, Heinz Mack, and Günther Uecker, sensitized him to new forms of artistic expression. These explorations of color, structure, and composition led to a creative approach that, using traditional painting media, boldly expanded the classic medium of oil painting in style and composition.

Thus, in his observant life full of encounters and explorations, Schirmann developed his own authentic, distinctive painting style, one that explores and transcends the boundaries of light, color, and space! His work reflects the interplay of abstraction and chance – while remaining true to his signature and allowing space for the concrete projections of each viewer!

Schirmann's works emerge from a processual dialogue between intuition and planning. His painting technique, characterized by the use of fine oil paints and pigments, revives the multi-layered painting of the old masters. He builds his works layer by layer, consciously allowing for coincidences and surprising results in the creative process. This approach allows him to "lose" control over the work, only to regain it again through the magic of chance. The resulting tension is characteristic of Schirmann's works: they reflect the constant balancing act between letting go and intervening.

The way Schirmann captures light in his works is fascinating. Subtle overlays of colors and shapes create transparent spaces that give the viewer the feeling of gazing into undefined spheres. These spaces are often permeated by inner movement and dynamic vitality that fully unfolds upon prolonged observation. This creates truly three-dimensional "surfaces" that—depending on the depth of association and projection power of the viewer—can transport us into an almost meditative reflection on space and time!

Inspired by a multitude of modern and contemporary artists, as well as by the symbolic power of contemporary art, Schirmann combines historical traditions with contemporary forms of expression. His works are not merely visual compositions, but also allow for philosophical reflections on existence, space, consciousness, and the unpredictable nature of creative processes.

Schirmann's artistic journey is characterized by a striving for in-depth exploration and refinement, as well as a willingness to be guided by coincidence. His works reflect the unpredictability of life and its natural reflection in art, which interpenetrate and reinforce each other. His works open up a space for reflection—on the visible and the hidden, the planned and the accidental—and invite all viewers to experience this tension in their own way!

During his visit to Schirmann's studio, Dirk Justus, director of the Eduard Bargheer Museum in Hamburg, spoke of "abstract landscapes of the soul."

Art-critic Lars Kopenhagen expands on this perspective:
"Conrad Schirmann's pictorial worlds remind us of the rugged landscapes of the surrealist Max Ernst – chance, the play of colors, amorphous constellations on various surfaces, whether aluminum, canvas, or cardboard. But in contrast to Max Ernst, who, with the help of his technique of decalcomania (color print or imitation), delighted in the indeterminacy of experimental coincidences of color, Schirmann elaborates this concentrated brew in the various overlapping layers and, like an old master, tames this coincidence: paintings that construct themselves, layer upon layer, in a glazed manner!

One is also tempted to think of the expressive application of color in Art Informel or abstract gestural color play, but this is not what Conrad Schirmann's paintings encompass. Anyone seeking deeper access here will find it (away from individual expressive gestures) in silence and Contemplation. Meditative concentration predominates, to domesticate, grasp, and tame what is randomly thrown into the world!"

Precisely this counterpoint to the "unbridled" nature of chance is reflected in the high art of Anglo-Saxon garden architecture – and the appeal of Schirmann's work: tension between chaos and order, between blind arbitrariness and creative human will. His concrete compositions nevertheless leave – as in a good poem – sufficient room for ever new, surprising discoveries!