Q: Mr. Hammer, when did you start painting?

A: That was at quiet an early age. I must have been two or three years old, then. I can remember the occasion when my parents took away my finger colour after having decorated the walls of our living room. However it did not take as long as my parents had projected until I had again a chance to pursue my experiments in early childhood abstract expressionism, as it were.

Q: Did you have particular sources of inspiration?

A: My parents always took me to art exhibitions in Munich and I was fascinated about contemporary art and modernism. In the 70ies my Mother collected works of contemporary polish artists. So, I was surrounded by art at home. I imitated other artists styles for a while, but felt much more comfortable developing paintings as they came about. The result was my own working style after I realised the principles of what I did.

Q: What techniques did you work in?

A: I tried out quiet a few. First I worked with the readily available material that came out of the box, watercolours, pastels, oil colours and acrylics. Acrylics were really the reason why I started to experiment with raw pigments and different media. The industrial acrylic paint did dry too rapidly, was expensive and only available in small units at the time. It was a lucky coincidence that Dr. Kremer opened a small shop in a garage in Munich. I bought pigments and acrylic emulsion, raw canvas and had frames made by a carpenter in the Bavarian Alps near the place I used to work at the time.

Q: Your paintings of the mid 80ies were quiet experimental and full of symbolism?

A: Yes I tried to put whole world images into a single painting. My mother is a doctor and she specialised in chinese acupuncture. I accompanied her to many congresses in chinese and alternative medicine and thus got acquainted with eastern concepts of philosophy. The concept of balancing live energy like in Qi Gung and acupuncture were influential to me, and a topic of my art. I also incorporated western ideas and symbols in my work.

Q: You also did martial arts. Did this have any affect on your work?

A: Yes, definitely. Especially my studies of Japanese sword arts were extremely beneficial for my personal development and also for my artistic progress.  I still practice Iaijutsu and Shinkendo today and the development of either art goes hand in hand. In both cases one moves ahead through training, discipline and reflection.

Q: What made you change your style in the following years?

A: I moved from the mass of details and symbols to a more monochrome or colour only style. The topic was to create paintings and drawings that were ontological symbols in their own right or my expressions in colour and structure. Again trying out different media and building up the paintings in a complex way layer by layer, translucent over impasto and so on. Good examples of this are my works in acrylics on canvas that I did until the mid 90ies.

Q: The mid 90ies were rather decisive for you actually stopped any artistic work for almost seven years. Why was that?
A: Well, had finished my studies and it proved to be extremely hard at that time for me to make a living as an artist. People never recognise the costs you have as a young artist. You have to pay for a studio if you wish to work on larger scale paintings, material, you work for years to develop your own style.  As in nother fields, distribution and marketing are an extra effort and in the arts usually are a frustrating business.

Q: Did people not like your works?

A: In the contrary! I went to known galleries in London and Europe. People actually liked my work but nobody would take the risk to take me in the portfolio. I felt that I was too young in my early twenties and the art market was not booming, really. So I stopped painting and went into lobbyism and consulting. Today, I evaluate international high groth companies and develop strategies for clients. It is also very interesting to work in the private equity and venture capital field. There are many paralells to the art market, by the way.

Q: Was it hard for you not to work artistically for such a long time?

A: Definitely. Painting was the main way of expressing myself. I had done that for many years, almost my entire life. I put aside an important part of myself. However, I learned to express myself in different ways. Philosophy was still an important source and opportunity for further development and the businesses I worked in, contributed their share. It is interesting. I did not care about art anymore for years.

Q: So, why did you start painting, again?

A: You know the story of the Phoenix? It happened in the cellar of an artist-winemaker in Slovenia. A friend of mine is a Slovenian diplomat and wine expert he introduced me to Slovenian wine that I really do appreciate a lot. It is amazing how experimental some smaller Slovenian winemakers are, making superb wine with a clear local touch! I had a discussion with Mr. Rencel in his cellar on how one could see analogies in winemaking and creating a work of art. Somehow I felt the urge to start working again. So, I did and I still do!

Q: So, the trigger was not the Holy Ghost, but the spirit in a glass of wine?

A: It was mainly the pleasure one derives out of something one creates and makes by oneself!  Something that stays. Most things you achieve in business tend to be gone, soon, if they last, at all, or even happen!

Q: You currently work on paper?

A: Yes, I found a way to carry on what I stopped, years ago. My graphics have become more spiritual, if you like, and concentrated in their expression. I like simplicity and it is quiet a challenge.  Pure ontological statements reflecting existence, form and space. You still feel my works of the past, but the access to the from the one who looks at my work is very much – as it is well expressed in Japanese – an “ishin-denshin” approach from one spirit to another, as in Zen.

Q: You started doing photography?

A: I was thinking, weather digital photography is a medium for me to work with. I did some experiments and now try to work the other way round from the existing I can capture with the camera to what it becomes when photographed. The object and its picture are not the same and it is thrilling what interesting differences can be created by changing the context of something turning it into one of my works.  I like photography for it is very direct and a matter of choice.

Q: Are you also do other experiments?

Yes, I play with diferent digital media using existing graphic programmes like Picasso, Dadaists and others did with theit radymades. It is quiet interesting to do this with today´s media.

Q: Guess, we will continue this interview.  Thank you very much, indeed for the time being.