Eckart Hahn is an artist, whose curiosity lead him to the road of great modern art. Combining opposite urges, his work serves as a medium for all the things we are unable to describe through the use of words. If art changes people then, Eckart Hahn is the man who can change our point of view on art.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I assume that my intuitive mind is my greatest treasure. It is joined by the interest in the world at many different levels, together with a playful and childlike attraction towards anything disturbing.
Your work evokes multiple urges to your viewers such as touching, observing, riddle-solving and finding deeper meanings. Do any of them serve your original creative purposes?
I think the purpose is to find an expression for all the things for which you can’t find any words. I have a little daughter and whenever she gets a new tooth, there is something very special in it. There is a certain disconcertment or fear on one hand and pride and joy on the other. So one could say that my paintings or objects are like that dangling tooth; a junction of different and often opposite urges.
Your technique is undoubtedly intricate and eye-catching. Was it easy achieving your signature 3D style?
It’s not within my intentions to impress people with this technique. The way I paint belongs to the necessity that is required to express not only the idea (intellect) but also the sensuality, like e.g. the body language which allows direct but non-verbal levels of communication. Therefore, one needs a certain way of exact interpretation for all surfaces. The surfaces have a meaning beyond their pure materiality and coming back to your question, it requires severe discipline to achieve that.
The feeling of lingering between realism and surrealism is evident in your works. Would there be a winner, for you?
Maybe it´s a neck and neck race. For quite some time, one could not refer to the word surrealism as it was constantly paraded and accompanied by clichés of mass-compatible poster crap. I am actually quite relaxed about it as the unreal works is a connecting factor. Dream interpretation is not an issue for me. My art is based on intuition.
Let’s talk about inspirations. What is on your list?
Anything that is some kind of interface or a blank.Things that contain the two poles, black and white. We live in a paradox society and my way to deal with that is painting. It´s like keeping a diary. It doesn´t solve any problems but makes you feel much better. Humor runs through your work with ‘The last string’ and ‘The coffin decomposition’ being great examples.
What do you want to pass on to your viewers? Is it food for thought or just the artist’s inside jokes?
In “The last string” for example, there is a deep fascination with the illustration depicting the last scene from Wilhelm Busch’s ‘A Story of Seven Boyish pranks’ featuring two boys, Max and Moritz, who end up in corn which is to be pecked by geese. There is no blood, no cry, all is very clean. This picture really impressed me when I was a child. Today, I think this is a perfect picture for the inconceivability of life and death. I am very thankful for pictures like that. Almost 200 years ago, Kant said that humour is one of the most important ways to deal with fear.
On ‘Contenance’ we see elegant hands coming out of a vase and ending up breaking it to pieces, a very intense interpretation of dual nature. Are all things coming down to that – destroying and being destroyed?
Destruction belongs to both us and life. Sometimes, we don´t see that the destruction can also bear the germ of something new. I´m a doubtful optimist.
During your career, you had several sellout exhibitions. Do you agree or oppose the idea that commercial aspects can eventually damage an artist’s creativity?
It´s the same for all of us. If one does a job only for reaching a certain status in the society, this will only mislead him or her. For an artist, it can be translated as follows: When the fact that a museum will show your paintings becomes more important than the work itself, something is wrong. The fact, that people love your work so much that they will spend money to buy it, should not distract you from doing your work.
What are your hopes for the future?
That my family and I will keep well and stay fit.