Martin Lorenz
Monowesen
In his latest photographic series, “Wesen“, Martin Lorenz is executing a serial self-questioning that affords a glance into the best hidden secrets of his inner soul. His photography is (as are his films) an intellectually radical expression of his outlook as a social and artistic critic.
In their diversity, and as it sometimes seems as if he was pulling a face, the photos are reminiscent of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt’s famous ‘Character heads’. Unlike Messerschmidt though, Lorenz doesn’t aim to find the one expression for a certain typological state of mind, but shows his own, current and individual constitution. He captures the reflections of various emotional states on his face by rigorously and- in a way one tends to call it- aggressively holding a camera up to his face. Behind the mental location of Lorenz, which is visible on his face, his actual whereabouts ‘in real life’ become secondary. The artist raises the spectators’ awareness of his own sentient being, as the photos put the spectator into a certain mental state. Thus the looking at representations of different states of mind promotes catharsis in an Aristotelian way: Witnessing and Relating to someone else’s pain and fear (here it is Lorenz’) allows for a catharsis and relief of the spectator’s soul.
In two other series, “Easy to Love“ and “Mono“, the photos are posed. Lorenz uses several props like papercuts of naked bodies or tape that he attaches to his face. The banned emotion is here posed as well and yet the representations bear a striking similarity to the “candid” shots of the “Wesen”-series.
In Lorenz’ serial self-questioning we find the quality of an explorer who, by making a detour via the self-perception and so a specific and individual expression, considers art as a science by which universal insights into the nature of man can be gained.
Since 2002, Martin Lorenz, born in 1979, has been studying Media Art at Karlsruhe’s State Academy for Design, with Mischa Kuball and Lois Renner, among others. In 2008 he participated in ‘Passage European Forum for Young Artists’ in Mechelen and Brussels. He won the award for young emerging artists, bestowed by the province of Baden - Würthemberg in 2005. “Monowesen” is Lorenz’ second exhibition at the Natascha Mehlhop Gallery.
Exhibition „Martin Lorenz – Monowesen“, 29 January until 14 March 2009
Vernissage: 29 January 2009, 6-9pm