Interview
Walter Mikes
Walter Mikes is a visual artist from Vienna. His works have been shown in numerous exhibitions in Vienna, Innsbruck, Florence, Verona, Venice, Zurich, London and Paris.
Born in Vienna in 1951, Walter worked as a software developer for more than 30 years. Since 1994, he has been painting regularly. After a period of reorientation, he acquired a studio in 2012 and dedicated himself to painting.
In his studio, as well as during numerous workshops, Walter explores various subjects, materials and painting techniques in depth with artists like Bernhard Vogel, Jos Biersack, Wang Shu, Emil Waldmann, Lisa Kunit, Siegfried Karrer, Gerlinde Kosina, Alfred Hansl, Robert Zielasco and Sieglinde Wagner.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I live and work in Vienna, Austria, and have been painting regularly since 1994. In the beginning, I painted watercolors, mainly landscapes and cityscapes. During my professional life as a software developer, I considered painting as compensation for my office work.
Later, I experimented with different materials and formats in my studio, such as oil pastel, acrylic, Chinese ink, gouache or egg tempera. In 2012, I decided to focus entirely on painting. Abstract painting turned out to be my personal way of expressing myself, but I occasionally still like to paint portraits or landscapes. My favorite material right now is acrylic and Chinese ink on canvas or cardboard.
In 2016, I began to exhibit and sell my paintings. Since then, my works have been shown in various places throughout Europe. In summer, I like to travel with my camper van to workshops and exhibitions and this way, I can combine painting with traveling.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“Most of the time, I start painting without a plan and without a goal. I often carry some emotions in me that I’m sometimes not even aware of. Then I have a strong desire to paint. I intuitively prepare colors that reflect my feelings. I like to listen to music when I’m in my studio. Often, I feel an impulse directing me on what should be the next step.
When I start painting, I apply the colors on the empty canvas quickly and without any control. I use very fluid paint and spread it with a wooden spatula. While the first layer is drying, I often start a second and third painting and then go back to the first one. I get in touch with it and let it take its effect on me. Then I start to intuitively intensify the parts that I particularly like. Other parts I paint over or spray away with water if they are still half-dry. Most of the time, there are still traces left that are visible through the next layer of paint. In the finished artwork, you can still see my emotions and actions during the painting process.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I paint for myself, and it is not so important for me whether my works correspond to a current trend or not. On the other hand, I am always looking for new impulses and ideas. I’m currently experimenting with digital processing of my paintings. I take a photo of one of my abstract paintings and digitally change the colors. This often creates a new, independent work with a completely different mood and statement, which I can offer as a fine art print.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“Nowadays, most of my paintings are improvisations. When I paint portraits, landscapes, or cityscapes, it is important for me to express the essence of the depicted person or object. I prepare myself by gathering information, impressions, and background stories that I can express in my paintings.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My works are an expression of my inner mood. They are not an exact representation of what I think or see, but they reflect what I feel. Of course, social and political life has a great influence on my works, but only in an indirect way. I often carry a certain mood or emotion in me, whether consciously or unconsciously. And when I paint, my emotional state flows directly onto the canvas.
For example, the refugee movement in 2015 touched me a lot, and one day I spent a whole night in my studio. I painted 14 sheets and it was not until the next day that I realized what had affected me so much.”
What does your art mean to you?
"For me, painting is the way to myself, to my innermost being. It allows me to detect my hidden secrets, and to express my feelings and emotions. By nature, I am a very precise person who wants to have everything under control and avoid mistakes. Painting has taught me to release control, to be risky, and to allow mistakes.”
“When I’m painting, I’m often in a state of deep meditation and my brushstrokes don't follow a plan. My hand seems to move by itself. As if from a distance, I curiously observe what is happening while an intense dialogue is going on between me and my artwork.
After finishing my work, it sometimes appears strange to me, as if I didn’t paint it myself. Often it will only speak to me after a few days, and makes me aware of a theme that was only subconsciously present until it found its expression in my painting.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“I like to visit museums or exhibitions, and I admire the works of the great artists. However, I can’t make up my mind about one particular piece of art that I would call my favorite.
I also like to travel and spend time in nature. On my journeys, walks and hikes, I collect impressions and ideas for my next works. For me, nature offers the greatest mysteries and often I consider it as artwork.
Speaking of my own paintings, I would like to mention two artworks that I combined to create a poster for my exhibition ‘Bilder einer Reise’ in 2020. These two paintings represent my journey through the world of painting, from watercolor to abstraction.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Since 2016, I have participated in group and solo exhibitions. It started in a small gallery in my hometown Vienna, but now my exhibitions have taken me to places throughout Europe.”
“The highlight so far was my exhibition ‘Bilder einer Reise’ (Pictures of a Voyage) on the occasion of my 70th birthday at Goettweig Abbey, in my home country Austria. The exhibition lasted 3 months and showed in 70 pictures my journey through life and through the world of painting. Although the exhibition was interrupted by the COVID lockdown, some remarkable things happened:
As an example of my portrait painting, I showed a portrait of the current Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen in this exhibition. When he visited Goettweig Abbey with a state guest, they showed him his portrait and he signed it. Now, the painting hangs in the school of the Abbey.”
“After the exhibition, I was asked to paint a portrait of the Abbot and a view of Goettweig Abbey. It is a great honor for me that my work will now be hanging in the centuries-old abbots’ gallery.”
