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Paper Positions Hamburg

A selection of my drawings were shown at paper positions Hamburg, international art fair for works on paper..

As a curated exhibition focusing on drawings, collages, and prints, 𝚙𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚐 - 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 presents 19 of Hamburg's leading galleries for contemporary art and 4 guest galleries, each showing a selected artistic position that reinterprets this classic medium.

The show took place from August 27 to 29 in the majestic corner building Brandshof, the former headquarters of inland shipping company Schlesische Dampfer Co.

Find the exhibited work and more info at the heliumcowboy website.

F.T.S. Installation & exhibition "In other words: <_blank>"

My installation F.T.S. at heliumcowboy. Click the image to visit the gallery website including the work.

My installation F.T.S. at heliumcowboy. Click the image to visit the gallery website including the work.

Just some quick images from my installation at heliumcowboy as part of the triple header exhibition “In other words: <_blank>” with Jens Rausch and Boris Hoppek.

The opening was awesome. If you missed it, there’s a Catalogue Release Reception June 25, 17:00 – 21:00. Also the gallery is open Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 13:00 – 19:00, and by appointment. You can get in touch with Melvin here.

Below these wonderful photos by Julia Schwendner (thisisjulia.de) you can find my artist statement about the installation.

ARTIST STATEMENT


„I think my work is influenced by the fact that we're living in dangerous times. If I could put it in a sentence, in fact, my work is about just that: living in dangerous times.“ Don DeLillo

Well. I know. I am a fucking artsy smartass, quoting Don DeLillo. But hey, it is true, we are living in dangerous times, and that not just depends on where you’re socially located - at the bottom of the food chain, or on top of the money making game. Capitalism probably has never been easier to understand because its effects are so blatantly visible and so shamelessly displayed.

I absolutely relate my work and especially this series to DeLillo’s source for inspiration. And the danger I am referring to is not just a matter of perspective as stated above. I personally feel that despite the fact that every minute, every second of the day any possible opinion is posted to potentially everybody who is able to hold a smartphone (yes, you don’t even have to be able to read, images are feeding your thoughts just the same), our reactions are dulled and our survival instincts have been drowned by convenience.

In 2005 DeLillo also said that „writers must oppose systems. It's important to write against power, corporations, the state, and the whole system of consumption and of debilitating entertainments [...] I think writers, by nature, must oppose things, oppose whatever power tries to impose on us."

Replace „writers“ with „artists“, add Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok etc. to the list of „debilitating entertainments“ - and there you go. I agree 100% with the wise man on this.

I have always been a politically active person. I have been at least in parts radicalized in my youth, which was a very good time for it because the issues and problems then required action, the same as today but still very different. Getting older, I never ceased to speak my mind and express my often strong and - subjectively seen - alert and vigilant opinion. But I have also been domesticated by life, by choices, by the environment. In my art career, which by now spans several decades, I have been tempted as well to go for the aesthetics and fashion. It is an easy trap to fall into if you are trying to make a living with this shit. It is even worse today where likes and followers are treated as some kind of currency by a social media driven society.

But for many years now I have worked hard to come up with my very own aesthetics and with unique techniques of visual storytelling to find my very personal and individual way to express my concerns, my cares, my love for nature and humanity and my rage towards greed, oppression and intolerance. It is through working with wood and construction and carving with sharp blades and heavy paint and hard work and solid craftsmanship and absolute dedication that I try to create artworks that matter and that are expressive and political.

I believe art can be a beacon to shine a spotlight on society and our lifes, and a flag to be raised in battle. It can be more subtle than a punch in the face or the burning of police cars, but it has the same potential to raise awareness.

This is what I want my voice to be in this crazy, messed up, violated and fucked with but still so lovable world. The installational series I have been working on for this special exhibition in these weird times reflects this. The progress to get to this point was a struggle, and a constant inner debate, even though held mostly in private until the show for numerous reasons, but still … a fight. A battle. A bloodshed at times.

Like an undercurrent one of my favorite expressions for a while now flows though this series. Some may see it an expression of resignation, but that is not my interpretation. I feel it should be rather shouted out loud as a call to action:

Fuck this shit.



Jörg Heikhaus aka Alex Diamond, June 2021

Opening at heliumcowboy June 5 & 6: "In other words: <_blank>"

Today opens my exhibition alongside fellow artists Boris Hoppek und Jens Rausch at the heliumcowboy artspace Gallery in Hamburg. I built an instalational piece including 18 of myna works. I’ll show you after the opening, for today it’s for those who attend the first public Vernissage of the year 2021 at the gallery.

So glad it all worked out, if you are in town - it’s a not-to-be-missed exhibition by all three artists, curated by the new gallerist of heliumcowboy, Melvin Heikhaus.

Opening is all weekend long, Saturday from 14:00 – 20:00 and Sunday from 14:00 – 18:00.

More info here

"In other words: <_blank>": Exhibition opening moved to June 5

So, we have a new date again for the triple header exhibition “In other words: “<_blank>” (together with Jens Rausch and Boris Hoppek) that was supposed to open in March, then in May, and now over the course of the weekend June 5 & 6. I will show a new body of work that I will present in form of an installation within one room of the heliumcowboy gallery, working title “r.evol.ution”.

There will be a catalogue released as well as a new print edtition. Looking forward to this, it has been too long.

r.evol.ution

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Fresh work in the studio. Made some good progress recently on a new series, working title „r.evol.ution“. It might still change though. Everything is in a state of flux.

All in preperation for an installation planned for the upcoming exhibition “in other words: <_blank>” opening May 8 at heliumcowboy (in Hamburg and online).


Something to calm the nerves

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In times like these turning to nature it is a great way to calm the nerves a bit. At least for me. Here’s a woodcut I finished a few days ago showing a topographical view (or adaptation rather) of a small stretch of the Danube river, in the „young“ course of this waterway. There is mist along the shore, clinging to the trees and the embankment. Which gives the work its title: „Misty“.

It is part of the collection of woodcuts I am creating for Geberit.

And it kinda works. The sabbatical I mean. From Instagram. I am not really thinking about it and have managed to focus better on my upcoming exhibition in May. I have a strong concept now and need to work out how to present it. It will integrate the space, it will be radical, and is still a lot of work to complete until it opens in less than two months, but hey, everything else would be boring, right?

So glad you are here. And not somewhere else.

Just a little bit of background why I am currently not on Social Media. I haven’t been on Facebook since 2019, and now it is time for me to take a sabbatical from Instagram too.

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- March 10, 2021 -

Hey. I need a break.

No worries, I’ll be back shortly, just need a personal moment, and we all know there is no way escaping this mess if the App on your phone stares at you and cries for attention like a baby. Hell, often it’s even quite fun being in this time-/energy-consuming and creativity-exploiting capitalistic trap we call „social“ media. But if there is one thing my day long #instagramtakeover of the @heliumcowboy account - which I took dead serious and worked passionately all day on - showed me, than it’s that I really should take some time off of it for real … like a vacation, or even a therapy you might say.

I know many people still see me as the gallerist who is great at marketing and business and shit and some won’t even accept that I am no longer that, probably also because heliumcowboy is still so close to me which weirdly enough is still frowned upon after at least a century of artist-run galleries. But I couldn’t even give a single fuck about this opinion, cos it’s only that - an opinion, subjective and prejudiced. What few might believe is that it is extremely exhausting and often hurtful to run full force against windmills for close to two decades, and that this I-got-it-all-covered-and-under-control person I can be is not there all the time. Most and foremost I have been an artist since I can think, and now that I managed to free myself from the business side and just want to embrace not being a dealer anymore, there are new barricades in the way that I first need to figure out how to kick to the ground.

What I am trying to say with all this is that a few things have reached and kind of attacked my, hmmm, more touchier side lately, and that I need to take better care and protect myself for the sake of creating the art that is still in me after all these miles I made on both sides of the art world for such a fucking long time.

I have to concentrate on some meaningful new pieces, find a strong direction for my next exhibition (May 8), get projects done that really matter, find another gallery that is seriously interested (and only that!) in working with me, continue to write my book (release moved to 2022) and dig deep into the restoration of our 260+ year old farmhouse. I have to keep my strength for what is really important right now and take a long, deep breath.

Don’t worry, I am all good. But I need some silence and peace for a bit.

You can always reach me, I have a phone number and a vintage but very active email-address (studio@alexdiamond.net), I have a great website (www.alexdiamond.net), so I am never really far. And most likely it’s only gonna be a few days, you won’t even notice.

Big hugs, stay vigilant and off your phone from time to time.

Jörg aka Alex-too-many-things-Diamond.

einblick #3: special exhibition project

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I am very excited to be part of Melvin’s new heliumcowboy-lockdown-exhibition-project „einblick“ - every week there is a new show with a different artist in the windows of the heliumcowboy gallery, starting Friday’s with a live-opening (Zoom & Facebook).

I freshly created 34 drawings for this exhibition, all very spontaneous but heartfelt explorations, all honest and blunt, some angry, some political, and some even vagely romantic.

This small video here is just a fast forward preview, the originals will be online Friday. Hope you can join Melvin and me for our talk live from the gallery, starting a 8:15 pm. Links in my profile here and of course over at heliumcowboy . Please spread the word, I love to see you all again, even though it is just through the wire!

Vernissage: Fr 26.02., 20.15 Uhr
https://zoom.us/j/95854608761
(Kenncode: einblick, Meeting-ID: 958 5460 8761)

little big Update (and Works on paper)

“LIfe Goals”, ink on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm (2021)  check availabiliy here

“LIfe Goals”, ink on paper, 29,7 x 21 cm (2021)
check availabiliy here

I have been asked recently why there is not more new work online this year. I guess a lot of people are assuming that as an artist there is not much to do these day but be in the studio and churn out new pieces.

Well. I doubt that is applicable to every artist. Definitely not to me. The whole lockdown situation with homeschooling is taking a major toll. And while I love nothing more than spending time with my young son, you don’t get any work done when trying to support your kid while school and politics are failing in doing a proper job in this crisis. I know, this is a bit too general as well, I am sure there are teachers out there giving everything to help their students. Not in our case though, sorry.

But that is only a part of the reason why I am not spending every workday in the studio. There is the issue of transitioning the gallery to my oldest son, Melvin. He is in tough spot as well, considering the difficult situation he is in with not being able to show art at the physical space in Hamburg. He now moved most of it to the online world, but I am currently building him new moveable walls so he can make exhibitions in the windows. He has an exciting plan for this, it is going to be good! However, being the carpenter and builder in our set up, I am working a lot in the wood-workshop now too (which I just optimized in the beginning of the year, it’s a beauty to work there now! It is not all bad ;))

Then there are a lot of (art) projects I am working on, for my partners at Geberit and the Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei for example, and also I have two bigger shows coming up this year, that need preparation. I still have to find a way to squeeze in my writing for the book, and yes, my farm in the countryside is another thing that needs a lot of attention this year, with some part of it in desperate need of repair and redevelopment. That house is very, very old.

I did not yet mention my podcast heliumTALK. But … well. That is an issue for a separate update, as I am not sure that it is really necessary any longer, with the digital overload of the times and new conversation platforms rising (such as Clubhouse for example). I need to think on that one a bit more.

I don’t need to get into the part of my life that is private, my family, my taking care of them and being the cook and handyman and loving father and such, and how I manage to get some hardcore fight workouts somewhere into this schedule, but let me just say this: I usually get up at 5. I dig into computer work right away with a cat and a coffee on my lap on the sofa, still in my pajamas. And after a looooong day I fall to sleep exactly five minutes after I go to bed, which can be anytime between 10:30 pm and way past midnight, depending on the workload …

The update about my art? I recently started one large work in my Hamburg studio. It is going to be big and it will take a few weeks to complete. And I also took out pens and paper again so I can do some drawings in between, because those are perfect for me to get into the zone when time is scarce.

If anything is available to acquire, it will be in the artwork section on heliumcowboy’s online portfolio here. Or just contact Melvin. I also updated this website with a lot of my current and earlier and vintage works on paper.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay sane, stay radical and anti fascist and help those in need wherever it is possible for you. And keep in touch, I love hearing from you all.

Jörg aka Alex Diamond aka FvK ;)

Recent drawings

Exhibition: Roots

Exhibition view. To view the show: Click image.

Exhibition view. To view the show: Click image.

My first exhibition this year is titled ROOTS and it is obviously different like everything else … I am showing at the Vinothek of long time friends and partners from Weingut Tesch, and while my artwork is really there it will be tricky (but not impossible) to see it live. But there’s an interactive 360 degree view of the show so you can experience it from your home office or couch or … check: weingut-tesch.de/roots . The exhibition is curated by Melvin / heliumcowboy.

I am really looking forward to the online opening on February 3rd (8:15 pm), I will be in my studio and Martin Tesch in the exhibition and we will talk (in German) about my work, you can hang out with us live on instagram, Facebook and YouTube. You can of course also purchase the art online.

Click to see the virtual tour.

Click to see the virtual tour.

If you didn’t know already, this vinery is very different from most others, Martin Tesch is very close with German Punk heroes Die Toten Hosen, producing their tour wines for a very long time now, and he is also the supplier of the official wine of the Wacken Festival. Martin is the Rockstar among winemakers and he is known to support progressive culture, like he is supporting heliumcowboy for close to a decade now.

With this exhibition he is bringing a few other partners that are all connected to the virtual table as well: there will be online tastings with Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei, whose label artist I am since 2014, and with Uerige Hausbrauerei from Düsseldorf, who are brewing collaboration beers with Kehrwieder and the Toten Hosen. There is a wine/beer package you can order for these tastings at the Tesch-website.

So, please support the arts, support the small manufacturers of beer and wine, and generally enjoy different cultural and sensory experiences while being in lock down.

Too busy in the studio. But things are going great and: Save the date(s)! (Kopie)

If you know me you know how much I like a well done artist website, more than I like instagram profiles and such, cos you know, a website is like a house you build and that you own, but of course it needs a lot of attention to be kept in shape.

I lacked this necessary attention a bit these past months, but that is only because I spend all my time in the studio working on new pieces for my upcoming solo-exhibition with heliumcowboy in Hamburg this June. Thsi exhibition will be my largest ever (so far), and there is a lot (a lot!) of space in the beautiful Barlach Halle K where it tales place.

Also there was the work I made for another upcoming exhibition: in New Orleans with the fabulous Mortal Machine Gallery in May, but those pieces have been crated and shipped and already arrived in April. So that’s done.

So let this be a short post, mainly with the dates of my exhibitions, I really hope to see you there! For daily updates please visit my instagram … (yeah I know 😂).

Hope you are all great, despite the insanely shitty times, I’ll try to condense some of the anger and frustration and hope and hate and love and general shit that is happening in the world and to our society in my work, like the good old punk cowboy you know me for.


DATES:

Memory Patinas (group)

at Mortal Machine Gallery, New Orleans
feat. Drew Leshko, Albert Reyes, TMRWLND, Alex Schaefer, Alex Diamond
Opening May 13


It’s all good (solo)

with heliumcowboy artspace
at the Barlach Halle K, Hamburg

June 6–13.
open daily 12–6

Special events:
June 6: Soft opening
June 10: Vernissage
June 11: Finissage with Concert

More to be announced - see heliumcowboy.com and/or their instagram for details.



Happy New Year

“Harmony” |&nbsp;woodcut - wood, acrylic paint. 30 x 40 cm. 12/2020

“Harmony” | woodcut - wood, acrylic paint. 30 x 40 cm. 12/2020

Not much to say yet. Too early. But it is all good - looking forward to this brand new year, looking back grateful for how it all turned out despite a f***ed up 2020, and always staying positive.

Love you all, thanks for stopping by, for the endless support and appreciation of my work.

First show of the year opens already this January at Weingut Tesch - find out more here.

Final print release of the year: The end of a superpower (timed edition)

Click image to go straight to the online store. This is a timed edition, so all orders must be made before December 13 at midnight (german time).

Click image to go straight to the online store. This is a timed edition, so all orders must be made before December 13 at midnight (german time).

When I was thinking about releasing one last print for this messed up year, I didn’t have to look far: Personally I feel that my Flaum van Kreuzen (FvK) painting “The end of a superpower” is most likely the artwork that kind of captured 2020 the best, if you can put it like that.

Why? Well. My work process in the FvK project is one I describe as „irreversible decision making“, and “purely honest, unpretentious, unintentional and unfiltered" (you can read my full FvK artist statement here), so the result is never planned but influenced by chance and the time spend on the work itself and the things that happen etc.

“The end of a superpower” was only the fourth artwork of the project and the first for which I “constructed” a wooden base (= loosely connected some wood that was lying around the workshop in a totally random way). I smashed things, I tore things off again, I even threw parts of this in the fire pit, I painted layers on layers, rough and wild and in a punk rock kind of way, before I finally scratched the words of the title into the still wet spray paint and printing color because it reminded me of a well known flag. But the title was not just aimed at the self destruction of the United States under the idiot Donald Trump and his braindead minions. It is also a reference to what happened in general in our world this year, with the pandemic (at least initially) affecting everyone regardless of their position on the food chain or their role in suppressing the poor, exploiting capitalism and the general destruction of the world.

So yeah, there is a lot of anger and compassion in this one, after all, even though it was created in a flow that turned from experimental to free jazz to punk to hardcore death metal in a few days.

It is also one of these ominous artworks that a lot of collectors are drawn to when they are looking for a signature piece of an artist or a new series by one. Needless to say it was also one of these works in the show this September that could have been sold 10 times - after the red dot was sticking next to it. I personally believe there is some truth in this, but also a lot of psychology. I think a bunch of the other pieces in that exhibition should have registered as iconic as well (not just but “No monkey’s in this picture” for example is a very important work too).

So. All of this combined is why I felt this one should become a print.

And that you can buy online now at heliumcowboy as part of their Christmas-Print Special.

VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH: It is a timed edition. This means that you can only oder it until Dec 13 (Sunday) at midnight (german time). The amount of orders defines the total edition number. And after that deadline this work will NEVER EVER be reproduced or offered as any kind of edition ever again.

So. What are you waiting for:

Go get it!

Specifics:

Archival Pigment Print on 320 gsm Hahnemühle William Turner Fine Art Paper
36 x 39 cm
Signed and numbered

Print details:

Original artwork:

THE END OF A SUPERPOWER, 2020
Lino printing color, acrylic paint, spraypaint, oil pastels, marker, marker fluid, polychromos pens on wood. In handmade artist frame. 69 x 64 cm





Some angry beasts at Feinkunst Krüger

No worries, no worries at all. 2020
Woodblock, broken plywood, acrylic paint, ink, pencil, nails. In slightly uneven artist frame. 30 x 24 cm

I’ve created a small group of apparently angry beasts for the 15th edition of the annual super-exhibition “Don’t Wake Daddy” at Feinkunst Krüger Gallery in Hamburg. This is the biggest Low Brow-exhibition in Europe, and the artist line-up is full with insanely great talent:

Alexandra Lukaschewitz, Ana Juan, Aniela Sobieski, Andrey Klassen, Anthony Pontius, Brad Woodfin, Brian Serway, Caitlin McCormack, Claudia Six, Dewi Plass, Dolce Paganne, Elmar Lause, Erlend Tait, Ewa Pronczuk-Kuziak, Fred Stonehouse, Gregory Hergert, Hazel Ang, Heiko Müller, Jason Limon, John Casey, Kisung Koh, Marc Burckhardt, Marco Wagner, Marcus Schäfer, Mario Maplé, Miriam Zadil, Martin Nill, moki, Naive John, Pamela Tait, Paul Neberra, Susanne König, Stig Bergas and Tripper Dungan.

Honored to be part of this again! The exhibition is curated by Heiko Müller and Ralf Krüger.

Even though it is tricky times you should visit the gallery - it is open Thursday – Saturday 12 – 7 pm, and aditionally December 21 - 23 from 12 – 6 pm (or get in touch). You can also check out more information and images through the website of the gallery and download a pdf with the exhibited artwork here (7,3 mb PDF).

Installation view at Feinkunst Krüger

Installed group of my five woodcuts at Feinkunst Krüger.

A new sheriff in town

Photos by Julia Schwendner / thisisjulia.de

Photos by Julia Schwendner / thisisjulia.de

Alright. That was it. There is a change in management, not just in the US of A, but also here in Hamburg at heliumcowboy. I am back to only being an artist again, and no matter how much I loved building the gallery, it is a fucking relief. Here’s why:

This November I am handing over the reins to of the gallery to my son Melvin. I founded the heliumcowboy artspace back in 2002 but am resigning now from all my operative gallery work after almost two decades, so I can focus solely on my work as an artist. Melvin is now the new gallerist on the Ranch, and I couldn’t be any prouder: The exhibition „Hurry up please, it’s time“ that opens this weekend (Nov 14 & 15) is the first exhibition he curates in his new position.

Stepping back from my leading role at heliumcowboy has been my plan for a few years already, because running two full time jobs at the same time has always been very tough. So now I am finally again concentrating only on my art, which I create under the name of Alex Diamond since 2004 (and most recently with my Flaum Van Kreuzen-project). Looking back, my art was at the foundation of heliumcowboy all along: In 2002 I began to make exhibitions in my new artist studio in Hamburg St. Pauli, which I eventually turned into the internationally acclaimed gallery heliumcowboy … most of you probably know the story. It’s a good one, and it feels great to look back.

In 2016, Melvin assisted me for the first time setting up and executing an exhibition. With the 15-years anniversary show „Cowboyland“ in 2017 he came on board more permanently and has been my right-hand man for most of the shows at the gallery and on fairs since.

He is ready now to take on the whole business with a set of fresh eyes and new ideas for the art world. I will help out only with strategic issues if needed, but apart from that Melvin (22) is now most likely the youngest gallerist in town - and the new Head Honcho on the Ranch, to stick with our heliumcowboy lingo.

I hope you all will support him in this big new task ahead. Make sure to help keep a vibrant gallery scene alive by visiting the shows, spreading the word and of course by buying art.

Love and hugs

Jörg

PS: “Hurry up please, it’s time”, Melvin’s „inaugural“ exhibition as the gallerist of heliumcowboy opens this weekend (Saturday, November 14 from 2 – 8 pm and Sunday, November 15 from 12 – 5 pm). Unfortunately the times don’t allow for a big celebration, but you can book a timeslot at heliumcowboy.com/booking to make sure to congratulate him personally.


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