Abolishing Colour!
Christian Moeller, based in Berlin, is a painter very different from the rest. All his work is basically in black and white. Strange as it might seem this lack of coour manages to captivate the eye like nothing you’ve ever seen! Initially inspired by nocturnal landscapes, followed home by the police, his work is like a diary, recollecting atmospheres, light, places, emotions, items and thoughts.
KALTBLUT: Your paintings are very modern yet almost classic. How do you explain that? What kind of feelings do you bring into them?
Christian: I was never concerned with how they come across. They just happened. Of course I’m always trying to reach to the deepest core of myself and get rid of anything unnecessary. They help me be true to myself and endure this world.
KALTBLUT: You are living in Berlin, what kind of inspiration does this city offer you?
Christian: Berlin has always been there for me. People have been forced to think and rethink a lot because ofBerlin’s history, especially in the last 100 years. This has created some open space that I really appreciate. Related to my work Berlin has influenced me but only indirectly.
KALTBLUT: Why are you so fond of black and white? What do you see in it that colour can’t offer you?
Christian: In the beginning I used to draw cemeteries, industrial landscapes, places at night. It wasn’t my intention to work only in black and white. I like colours but I don’t miss them in my work. Their absence allows me more room for forms and shapes that could have seemed too bright to me otherwise.
KALTBLUT: Tell us a little about your recent exhibition in the Terrace Neue Nationalgalerie?
Christian: The exhibition is called “Heiland von Ungericht”. The opening was scheduled for the 9th of November intentionally. “Heiland” is a German royal title for Jesus Christ. The word “von” is also related to royal family names. Then the word “Ungericht” doesn’t exist anymore, it used to be part of the German military history. It stands for penance, sacrifice, and high fines punishment.
Interview by Amanda M. Jansson
