Paintings
EXPRESSIVE PAINTING
My large-format paintings are created in Munich and explore the human condition. This figurative, expressive style of painting evolves from the creative process itself, combining figure, colour and spontaneous movement.
Through the use of an extended brush, the tool itself becomes part of the painting. This gives rise to immediate images whose energy is not planned but develops whilst I am painting.
Alongside my own artistic works, I also produce figurative paintings as commissioned works based on photographs. In doing so, I translate personal motifs and photographs into my own expressive visual language.
Experimentation shapes the working method
Paintings by Jörg Herz, Munich artist
My paintings – like my sculptures – focus on people. The figures do not arise from a predetermined plan, but develop during the painting process. I am less interested in perfect representation than in the energy of a picture and the spontaneity of the moment.
Experimentation is a key part of my working method. For many paintings, I extend the brush with a long handle. This alters movement, distance and control. The tool itself becomes part of the artistic process, resulting in lines, surfaces and colour gradients that would scarcely arise using conventional methods. The deliberate relinquishment of complete control opens up new possibilities and makes the creative process visible.
The result is large-format paintings on paper characterised by an expressive, figurative visual language. Powerful brushstrokes, simplified forms and vibrant colours define the works. Many of the paintings straddle the line between figuration and abstraction, focusing on the essence of a situation or a posture.
The paintings are not intended as illustrations of a story, but as an invitation to connect one’s own thoughts and memories with the image. It is precisely the openness of the depiction that allows for different perspectives and leaves room for personal interpretations.
In addition to free artistic works, I also create figurative paintings as commissioned works based on photographs. Personal photographs can serve as the starting point for an independent painting in my expressive visual language. Similarly, a client’s own idea for a subject can provide the inspiration for a bespoke painting. Commissioning a painting of a person, a special moment or a personal vision draws on a long tradition of portraiture and commissioned painting – today expressed in a contemporary, expressive visual language.
