Lennart Grau
b. 1981, Germany
Lennart Grau (*1981 in Krefeld/Germany) completed his studies of fine arts as an alumni of Prof Leiko Ikemura at the University der Künste (Adademy of Fine Arts) in Berlin in 2012. The artist lives and works in Berlin.
Grau’s almost brutal use of colours is a fascinating counterpoint in his interest in the ease and jauntiness of the Rokoko. Impressed by the human ability of decadence, the artist feels inspired to emphasize tawdry themes. For Grau, angels, classic still lifes and epic scenarios represent perfect models to reveal the shallow glamour of this era and shape these typical ornaments into neat ulcers. In reduced, abstract studies, the painter deals with the effects of light and shadow always being in search of innovative techniques of the Trompe L’oeil.
With these moments of irritation, the painter attempts to engender mistrust that is both seductive but also contains a doubtful undertone. As in Impressionism, the representation of light and ambient conditions becomes the artist’s key task. An art movement that has always been connected with innovation, progress and critical thinking, is revived in Grau’s works and transformed into a three-dimensional image.
“I like being seduced by beautiful fascades which at the same time make me question them immediately because of their superficial aesthetic.“