Henning Strassburger

It was always his goal to become an artist, and although his parents tried to stop him at first, there was never an alternative. He studied fine arts at the UdK Berlin and later at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Today his paitings reveal their own characteristic. They show mainly immaterial themes, which are created with vibrant colors and rambling gestures. Henning finds inspiration in the flood of images, which comes across in his daily life. Especially magazines for teenagers and music videos awake Henning’s attention with their bright colors and often meaningless messages. Some examples we find at one wall of his studio, where among other things the title for the painting ‘1€ Oops’ finds its origin. Also the title is of great importance in Strassburger’s art, since painting is an analytic process and not only takes place on the canvas. The title unites the process of creating with the finished piece and reflects the intention of the painter himself. Here Henning goes by bizarre neologisms too – like ‘Oops Humblebragging’ or ‘Crazy Summer Bromance’, that circulate round the World Wide Web and other media. Most important for Henning Strassburger and his contemporary painting is to give it a certain subjectness which speaks for itself. So the painting decides autonomically when it’s finishes while the painter takes a backseat. Since 2006 he exhibited in solo- and group exhibitions all over Germany and in the USA. Recently his new works were shown at the exhibition ‘The Digital Divide’ in Düsseldorf in the gallery of Sies+Höke – an exhibition he designed about the digital influence in the painting.

Video:Sylvie Weber | Pictures:Caroline Kurze | Text:Esther Jablotschkin