Preface - René Böll: My artistic work

There are two important force-fields which exert an effect on my artistic work. Firstly there's the European painting and printmaking tradition, which is particularly visible in the form of expression and the formal aesthetics of my paintings, and secondly my understanding of artistic creation, which is influenced by the spirit of Chinese philosophy, in particular Daoism, and relates to the traditional approach of Chinese ink painting.

My intense study of colour, and the exceptional significance I attach to it, has its their roots in European tradition. I use an the most diverse colours -earth colours and mineral colours, hundreds of pigments of natural earth colours, ground minerals such as orpiment and vermilion as well as plant, animal colours and modern organic and inorganic colours which, when mixed with other pigments, come close to plant colours. I prefer natural colours because in my experience they are more vivid and have a much larger spectrum.

At the centre of my aesthetics of colour is harmonization - a harmonization which relies on the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang, in which opposing as well as complementing elements are taken to be a natural whole. It is perhaps the spirit which underlies the mastery of ink painting. If painting is understood as a certain way of expressing comprehension, then the specific form of comprehending Chinese ink painting is the Chinese philosophy of nature, with its particular expression: Daoism.

Clearly it is this relation between nature and painting which comes so close to my temperament and understanding of artistic creation. The landscapes in my paintings are in many respects reminiscent of the world of imagination of Chinese Daoism. My landscapes radiate quietness and solitude. They are places which are far away from the distracting and tiring influences of the din of civilization. In them time is different from the time of history. Nature is left to herself.
Her elements -fire, earth, water, air, the sun and the moon, seas and mountains- follow the Dao, the "eternal way" in continuous change. Nor is man, embedded in nature, the measure of all things. In the form of death, the skeleton or the skull - a very frequent motive in my work -he too is integrated into this great cycle of Dao. In the process of dissolution, man is not dramatic or romantically small, but natural without any sign of resistance. Life and death, like all phenomena of nature, have no presage.

My art is concerned with "self-achievement", creating spaces within, and is less directed towards the outside, aggressive self-portrayal. Because of that it tends to move me closer to the Far Eastern concept of the artist than that of many of my Western contemporaries.

In my mind prehistoric art has as much contemporary relevance as today's art. The same holds true for East Asian art or pre-Columbian excavations. Many modern art movements mean little or nothing to me. My esteem for Rembrandt, Goya, Odilon Redon, Turner, Munch, Klee and many others continues to grow, even as it diminishes for others.
I follow no canon in my work and embrace no ideological tenets or goals. It is irrelevant to me whether my works are "modern" or "trendy" or as a recent exibition in London was called, "a sensation."

When did you first suspect you might be an artist? Did you come from an artistic family? Were you encouraged by a special teacher? Or what? It would be interesting to know what alternatives you were considering at the time you were making the decision. Were you considering going into accounting?
I started thinking seriously about art when I was 15 or 16 years old. I left school when I was 17 and started as an artist. Yes, I come from an artistic family, my father was a writer and my mother a literary translator from English. When I was 17 and 18 I had some lessons from a painter who encouraged me a lot, but I think the decison to become an artist is a very lonely one. For me there was no alternative but art. I never thought of being anything else. I never considered any other profession, except maybe photographer which, at bottom, is also art.

What was your formation like? How important do you consider art-specific formation to be, as opposed to a general-cultural formation?
Becoming older (I am 53) I now think a professional formation is very, very important. I think young people need both a technical and a spiritual formation, to learn to draw, to learn painting techniques, and to learn to see paintings, not in an intellectual way, more in a sensual way. Of course a general cultural formation, including art history and other cultures and continents is very important. First of all for their music, which is the most inspiring art.

Who are your favorite artists? Which ones have influenced you most?
When I was young it was Van Gogh, the expressionists, Turner, Friedrich, Rembrandt, Rubens, Munch , van Eyck, Goya, Bacon , Klee, Grünewald, the tachists , the medieval book painters and many, many others. Later Chinese Ink painting : Ba Da Shan Ren, Mu Chi, the Song dynasty painters. Now I also see myself in Bonnard and the impressionists. When I was about 20 I was also impressed by Pop Art, mostly for the new colours, but never Beuys nor Warhol nor construtive art.

Do you think the very definition of "art" has changed in our lifetimes? If so, how?
Yes, it changed a lot. I think today the "sensation," the "event" is so important, sometimes it's nothing else. Many artists like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin or the horrible Jeff Koons are only an "event" or a "sensation." But I think there are still very many really good painters, sculptors, printers and other artists. But they are quieter.

Do you think the market influences your work? Or are you free of that?
Of course the market is important, but I don't work for the market. I like your recent comments about the "starving plumber." But my art is too personal and too "subjective" for the market to influence me. I feel that my work is better for it. I don't worry about the market as I don't really have a market. I feel quite free of that. Also in former times for Rembrandt and Rubens the market was important, but it didn't changed the quality of their work.

In your years of experience in dealing with authentic artists, what character traits do you think they have in common? Or is that a myth?
I think that's a myth. You have to be convinced of what you are doing.

How does a young artist go about discovering his or her "own voice?" What's the best advice you can give to young and emerging artists. ("Young" is so relative...)
To work as you -and only you- consider you have to work. That doesn't means not to speak and to discuss with other artists and friends and your family and to think over what they say. But after all you have to know what you want to do. Probably you need to be very stubborn to follow your way - the Chinese would say your "Dao". Never ask yourself, "What will other people think of my art." And learn as much "technique" as you can; learn to draw. I know these are very old-fashioned things, but I am becoming more old fashioned in these things. Its important to have a good base.

What is the hardest hurdle you had to get over in your artistic career?
You need many many years to get a good authentic result in your work. It's difficult to work for many years without much response. It's difficult to find one's own way. I tried Chinese ink painting techniques for many years. Finally I started to achieve some quite good results, when I didn't force it too much, when I was relaxed and did it my own way.

Is art school necessary? What might be some good alternatives. (I love the story of photographer, Sebastiao Salgado, trained as an economist... One of the most successful journalists I know studied marine biology...)
Yes, as I've said before, it's also important to discuss with other artists. I also like the story of Salgado, one of my favorite photographers, but for me the craft is very important. Unfortunately, in some academies you don't learn enough of it.

As well as being a working artist, do you do other work, such as teaching or workshops or something else? What percentage of your time is devoted to printmaking?
I am sometimes asked to give talks and slide presentations on the subject of painting techniques or about Chinese ink techniques, or about colours (the use of colours, historical pigments). I also do some workshops on these subjects. Printmaking is only about 30-40% of my work.

Where does your inspiration come from?
From nature, walking in nature and, of course, from exibitions, museums, and from music (especially Baroque music) and poems (especially Chinese Tang poetry.)

Do you have a ritual or routine which you perform when you go into your studio to work?
No, I like to work very early. Sometimes I get up at three or four in the morning to work some hours. Music is very important, especially Baroque music (Purcell, Bach, and also music like Loreena McKennit, when I work on Irish themes).

Why printmaking?
I like the indirect way of making an etching or a drypoint. For me the printmaking has its own quality and results you can't get with drawing or painting. I like the alchemy, to try new techniques and I am always fascinated to see the result when I print.

What are your limited editions like? What factors do you consider when you set the edition? What do you consider a maximum number for a true limited edition?
Some of my editions are very small, only 3-7 prints, because I like drypoint very much. Other times I make editions of up to 100. It depends on the technique and also of the quality. I don't think its useful to print too much, it's better to print a smaller edition in better quality. A maximum true limited edition: probably up to 200 or 250.

What is your weekly work schedule like?
I don't have a schedule. Sometimes I work 80 hours sometimes only some hours weekly in art.

How important is it to have a proper studio? When did you finally get yours just the way you like it?
That's very important for me. I use many tools, many colours and need a lot of space. Still, my studio is too small and not organized enough.


How important do you think Internet is for artists? Do you think that importance will grow in the near future?
For me its very important, more for contacts and information, not so much for selling. I think it's a very good opportunity to see around the world. I think the importance will grow. I hope that selling art over Internet will improve.

Do you agree with me that "creativity" is not only about putting ink on paper (or paint on canvas) but rather an innate ability which shapes, colors and flavors every nook and cranny of one's entire life?
Oh yes, I am a great admirer of Chinese daoism. But creativity is not all, you have to learn to study and to work hard all your life.

It's the year 2002(!) Where do you think art in general and printmaking in particular are going from here?
For me it's not so important that we live in the 21st century. I feel more familar with many "old" artists beginning with the Stone Age painters, then with many expressions of modern art. For me the "normal" painting and printmaiking will never be outmoded and it's not important to be modern or not modern, that's so relative and who defines it, anyway?

If you had it all to do over, what would you do differently?
I would study drawing for years (portraits and so on) and I would spend some years in other cultures and countries, travelling and looking.

Do you think that art is the universal language? Do you think it's a vehicle for international understanding?
In part, we don't need a translation like literature, but we need to accept and to try to understand other cultures and their expression, their use of colour. The use of colour for example in China and other parts of the East is very different from ours. In many countries tradition is very important and not something that people want to leave behing them or want to destroy. They don't feel the necessity to rebel again their traditions. Neither do I.


Is there anything you would like to add to these comments?
I think it's very important to improve the possibilities of artists to earn their living with their work. That means not only to sell their work, but to be accepted as professionals and to be a part of society. Insofar as people see exhibitions as entertainment we are part of the entertainment business. That's OK, but we are not yet paid as entertainers!

In Germany artist are trying to improve the laws, that they have to be paid for an exhibition, to get a certain amount of money for expositions, but the laws still are not very clear.

I think it's very important to improve payments, royalties for all the many times our work is used in films, in fashion and so on. We need to participate in the benefits of this use.