NEO RAUCH JUXTAPOZ.COM 83homecoming with touching moments of reuniting
and recognition. A few of the pictures I had not
seen for a long time, and all—really all, even the
older ones, somehow aged well.
Also, the interlocking of images from two
decades does not seem abrupt or inorganic
at any point; on the contrary, everything
harmonizes in the most excellent way without
giving up tension.
It is inevitable that an artist who has worked
prolifically for decades will find some repetition
and certain aspects that are continuous. Despite
a stated resistance to analyzing your pictures,
are there any patterns in your narratives which
you cannot avoid noticing?
Certainly, there are recurrent patterns. Above
all, probably the fact that the interactions of my
characters are caught in a state of limbo; that they
never really connect or even maintain eye contact.
Also, I avoid, with very few exceptions, the eye
contact between figures and viewer. I always
perceive such stagings as indecent.
In addition, there may be props, such as the
burning backpack or cannons, which appear
directly or in modified form again and again.
Architectural elements, such as factory chimneys
and church towers, are also found again and again
over the decades, as well as clouds of smoke! No
smoke without fire.
It’s exciting that you recently translated
your theater-scaled paintings into the third-
dimension of opera. How has the opportunity
to design costume and sets for Lohengrin
affected your approach to painting? And
how sensational that this has sparked a
collaborative process with your wife Rosa
Loy! I love that you stated, “It was easier
than driving in the car together.” Will you
collaborate on future projects?
This is not yet foreseeable; the impressions left
by the stage design are still too fresh to serve as
a mold for pictures. They have to cure first. The
effect of the light in the room has, in any case,
addressed the painter directly, and it remains to
be seen how and if this experience is reflected on
the canvases.
Yes, working with Rosa is indeed a great pleasure.
She is very nimble—in the head and with the
eyes—and thus, fills a fatal gap that gapes on
my part. For the time being, there are no stage
projects on the horizon, with the exception of our
further work on Bayreuth Lohengrin.
I am looking forward to seeing your exhibition
Neo Rauch: Aus dem Boden/From the Floor when
it comes to The Drawing Center in Manhattan.
How do you use drawing in your practice?
I would imagine drawings, which are not
preliminary, could be used as exercises to help
you feel out various sensibilities, like what
you’ve called “the moment prior to excess.” Ms.
Loy must be helpful navigating these regards.
She is an exceptional painter in her own right,
and I’ve heard the only person you allow into
your creative process?
As part of my work, the drawing is considered
a kind of by-catch; she gets into the net, yet the
hunt was meant for larger prey. These are, at best,
finger exercises, which I complete in a trance-
like state, and which take place in the run-up to
a canvas project. However, they do not prepare
them directly, but only charge the space between
me and the canvas atmospherically. Yes, Rosa is
actually the only person whose advice and help
I ask for when needed. One should be picky and
careful in this regard.You’ve described that your initial motivation
in beginning a composition comes from dreams
or hypnagogic visions that can sometimes
be as vague as a concept or a phrase. What
techniques or rituals do you engage in to
encourage yourself to remain in these kinds
of mindstates?
I derive my pictures directly from dreams only
in very rare cases. Rather, I try to simulate the
mechanics of a dream event. That is, I go before
the picture on the sloping path of free-flowing
imagining. Gravity eventually brings things
together, creating a common sound. The rational
can assist at best. When she takes over the
direction, propaganda or journalism arise.Above: Krönung I, Oil on canvas, 98.5” x 74”, 2008