Romanticism 2.0 – A Journey into the Fairy-Tale Paradise Worlds of Katrin Kampmann

Her art is multifaceted. And this is meant literally when it comes to Katrin Kampmann. Whether in her vibrant, expressive paintings, her installations, the mysteriously alluring paper works, or her current stop-motion film, which introduces language as a new layer through her dialogue with Benno Fürmann – it is always a multitude of overlapping narratives that invite a gradual immersion.

What exactly is being told? And how much of Katrin Kampmann is in her work? With these questions in mind I set off for Prenzlauer Berg.

For context: we first met at the sommer.frische.kunst festival in Bad Gastein. Surrounded by the imposing mountain backdrop, we marveled at the art presented there, hiked together, philosophized about life, and also celebrated it. With these memories in mind I already have an inkling of where I might find traces of her personality in her work. But when it comes to the vast thematic scope of her stories, I’m still left in the dark.

Her studio immediately evokes good spirits: A selection of her large-scale paintings fills the walls, paper works cover the floor, splattered with vibrant, colorful paint, surrounded by tubes of paint and brushes of every kind… This is her little parallel-universe. With a welcome drink in hand we dive right into that universe.

The paintings reveal collaged compositions of abstraction and figuration: opaque color fields in acrylic and oil blend with soft, translucent watercolor spaces. Graphic structures and shapes come together using printing techniques, ink-blot-like patterns, combined with figurative elements such as human figures, animals, plants, or mountains. The longer I look, the more I discover, and the deeper I sink into the three-dimensional power of the works. The motifs have a paradisiacal quality. So, is the overarching theme humanity and nature?

How do the paper works fit into this? They are predominantly portraits of enigmatic hybrid creatures, often deconstructed and overlaid with technoid or organic content. They remind me of painted movie posters from past times in the science fiction or horror genre. At this point it’s clear: It’s time to ask questions.

E.B.: What inspires these works, and how do they conceptually fit with your paintings?

Katrin: The overarching theme is that I love fantastic stories: stories about artificial beings created by humans that inadvertently develop a life of their own and turn into monstrous creatures. I find this concept fascinating. I don’t know how many times I’ve read Frankenstein or watched the film adaptations… [laughs]. This reversal from utopia to dystopia, often tied to technological development, is something I’m really drawn to. But the same fascination also applies to other themes I encounter in literature and, of course, in art, which ultimately shape my series of works. All in all, it’s always this subjective view of a changing world, combined with the big questions and desires of life, that particularly interests me.

E.B.: Which explains the expressions of your figures. In the portraits, they often appear lost, introverted, and quiet against the reduced background; in the vibrant paintings, they are more extroverted and loud – as though immersed in paradisiacal places of longing.
Is this mix also something that defines you? What led you to painting in the first place?

Katrin: Well, let me start by saying: I was a wild child, and I drove my family a bit crazy with that [laughs]. My mother came up with the idea of giving me lots of rolls of newspaper to paint on as a way to calm me down. And I would spend hours doing that. We moved a lot, even lived in Paris. Foreign land, foreign language, foreign kids. Art was my safe space, the place where I could retreat to. When I painted, I always listened to cassette tapes; nowadays, it’s podcasts and audiobooks that I get lost in. So, in a way, nothing has changed …

E.B.: Did you write your own stories, and did that perhaps motivate you to also write the dialogue for your stop-motion film The Kiss?

Katrin: Yes, I did. But the decision to write the text myself, and to also perform the female part, came from another desire. I wanted to contribute directly and performatively to one of my works. In painting, the medium is always intermediated, but with The Kiss, I wanted to bring something more immediate into it.
You know what, before I say any more, let’s just watch the film together.

As promised, the studio quickly transforms into a private cinema. The nine minutes fly by in an instant. I am captivated by the flipbook-like sequence of digitized watercolor drawings depicting the passionately kissing couple. The female silhouette is unmistakably Katrin’s self-portrait, and I listen intently to the unusual dialogue. Her voice is as intense as Benno Fürmann’s. Together, they harmonize in a perfect way. It’s a dialogue of emotions: equally poetic and erotic, full of the pleasure of the present, but also full of longing.
Here’s an excerpt:

“Can I finally arrive with you? I’m longing for a home.

As long as you are in my arms I do not fear ‚for ever‘.

Are you the dream I may live within? I don’t ever wanna wake up again!”

You can get a first impression of The Kiss in the trailer. Definitely take a look.

A bit dazed, I reflect on my opening questions. How much of Katrin Kampmann is in her art? Clearly: a lot. Her body of work unmistakably reflects her subjective view of a changing world.

And what exactly is being told?
In her fairy-tale paradise worlds, she tells not only her own stories but also those from her research journeys into the psyche of our cultural existence. This explains why her works always contain elements directly addressing our collective memory, but also our very personal experience treasures.

Perhaps it is this combination that invites us to go on a journey of discovery, to dream, and to momentarily forget the everyday reality in a time of rapid societal change. Is this perhaps a reinterpretation of Romanticism? A kind of Romanticism 2.0?

Let yourself be seduced and form your own impression! The next exhibition is already in the making. Stay tuned!

Website: http://www.katrinkampmann.com

C.V: http://www.katrinkampmann.com/biographie

Exhibitions: http://www.katrinkampmann.com/ausstellungen

Instagram: http://www.katrinkampmann.com/ausstellungen