Alexander Höller's forest series causes a sensation
Schweinfurter Tagblatt 11.01.2021 - von Steffen Krapf
The artist's latest success has its origins in the forests around Schweinfurt. A conversation in his place of longing.
For one hour on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Alexander Höller takes time for a walk in the woods of the Schweinfurt weirs. In the forest, of course. In the homeland, of course. Here, in the forests of the region, lies the origin of his recent success. The 24-year-old painter has been stirring up the art scene as a shooting star for a good three years. In 2020, he once again caused a stir with his forest series.
Even as a child, he preferred to spend time in the forest instead of watching TV, Höller recalls. The forest is his place of longing. There you are undisturbed, no one asks you stupid questions. “Most of the time, at least,” he says, laughing heartily. He is an exciting and easy-going conversationalist at the same time. Visually, he doesn’t live up to the promise of his Instagram account today. He wears plain dark clothes, not the extravagant garments seen there. Of course, his facial tattoos are impossible to miss.
While eager joggers scurry by left and right, the son of the well-known motivational trainer Jürgen Höller provides insights into his childhood and youth, which he spent largely in Schwebheim. At school, Alexander was ridiculed for his dream of becoming an artist. His parents let him develop freely. As a goalkeeper in the youth of FC 05 Schweinfurt, he learned early to assert himself. That still helps him today. A high degree of discipline is also required as an artist. He often spends twelve to 14 hours a day in his Munich studio. There he deepens his art. He works on some paintings for up to two years.
For four months, Alexander Höller barricaded himself in his Munich studio for his forest series.
But he also sat there on a day in March 2020 when he was “completely down.” His planned exhibitions for the first half of the year were canceled. The pandemic also slowed him down as an artist for the time being.
Not being able to show what he has worked on for months and years – an unsatisfactory state of affairs. And that without any fault of their own. “That’s still going on for quite a few industries,” he points out.
But chaos is always followed by reorganization, he outlines, taking the forest as an example: “After every storm, the forest is initially agitated. Trees fall, branches break off,” he says with a calm look toward the treetops, “But the forest eventually recovers. It goes on and on.”
Höller relied on “now more than ever” at the beginning of the pandemic in the spring. “Paint your pictures and use your power,” he told himself. For four months he, who describes himself as a workaholic and loner, barricaded himself in the studio to work on a forest series. A project of the heart, where he was able to surprise himself: “That was my most blatant creative phase.”
His art has already taken him as far as Miami and Los Angeles. But it goes on, on and on. The result of his forest series made a huge impact with the exhibition “Storm” at the Martina Kaiser Gallery in Cologne. Almost all the pictures there found buyers. A “real Höller” is highly sought after on the art market.
Even celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oliver Kahn or Ralf Möller have one hanging on their wall. Depending on the size, the artworks cost between 5,000 and 40,000 euros. However, the amount of material and labor involved should be enormous, explains the painter. Stylistically, Höller’s works can be classified as abstract expressionism. He wants to show that art works not only in stuffy, but also in hip and cool. He succeeds impressively. The images are large-format, wild, brightly colored and immense in their depth. He applies twelve to 20 layers of oil paint, varnish, paper or gold leaf. In the forest series, he wanted to reproduce the freshness and horizons of the forest, but also to stimulate the imagination of memories and places of desire.
He first interrupted the series shortly before Christmas. It’s time for a new artistic impulse. He is not someone who does the same thing 150 times in order to make as much money as possible, he assures. Next on Höller’s list are self-portraits.
He is not afraid that something might flop. The rapid success currently proves him right anyway. He is comfortable with success – that is unmistakable. But in a sympathetic way. Sure, his rock star image looks formidable.
Those who get tattooed in front of assembled guests at the premiere of their own exhibition do not run the risk of being perceived as introverts. Alexander Höller sees himself as a total work of art. Artists don’t just have the task of producing beautiful things that will later hang on rich people’s walls, he thinks. “An artist’s job is actually to be a free thinker, isn’t it?” The 24-year-old wants to break boundaries, doing things that other people might not dare to do.
And what if fame does eventually go to your head? It reverts. Even before his art became a national and international success, he set himself a guiding principle: “I want to become a great artist, but always remain a down-to-earth person.” His luxury, he says, is being able to do what he chooses. “I’m just grateful for that every day.”
Alexander Höller would like to achieve the great goal of being exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in the Manhattan district of New York during his lifetime. “Art has to be seen,” he says near the end of the walk. But the museums are still a bit coy about such a young artist. Maybe the old home country will make a start. “I would be honored to be able to do something here at the Kunsthalle in my home country.”