Interview with Sascha Lantzsch
1. Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.
My name is Sascha, I am 38 Years old. I work as a nurse for a living and always did creative things besides, like being a DJ for alternative music in clubs, being a host of an internet radio show, writing songs, making music and playing concerts with different bands I had. Due to the Corona pandemic our concerts used to be cancelled because of the lockdowns, so I started painting as an autodidact and fell deeply in love with it. It became a really big part of my life now.
2. Describe what a normal day looks like as an artist.
I use to get up at 7 o’clock and like to have a first coffee in bed before starting the day. While this I usually plan the painting process for the day: what colors to choose, what contrasts and what kind of paint application is needed to get the expression I am seeking. I am usually listening to music when painting, so I am thinking what music will get me in the right mood for the painting I will be doing, too.
When finished the first coffee I usually start painting, listening to music and going on drinking more coffee and tea till having a break for lunch. After this I continue painting till the evening.
When finished with painting I oftentimes practice on my Saxophone for an hour or so. After that I am checking the painting I was working on over the day with fresh eyes again looking how the changes affect me and planing how to get on with it. After dinner I like watching arthouse or exploitation movies in the late evenings, for this is oftentimes very inspiring for me.
3. Can you tell us more about the theme in your art and your inspiration?
I find it very interesting how different the perspective on one thing can be. At the moment this is the main topic in my paintings. Oftentimes situations we come from can have a big influence on how we feel about following events. Sometimes the atmosphere of the surrounding lights, some noises or some thoughts can make the same moment for two people very different, although it is the same thing at the same time happening to them.
I am also interested in Philosophy, mostly existentialism. I like to contrast those psychological subjectivisms and distortions of perception with the ideas of absurd art and existentialism Albert Camus was writing about in his essays, but setting it in a modern context of contemporary ideas and questions.
4. How does your art life impact other parts of your life?
Oftentimes when I get inspired by something around me or get some interesting ideas for a painting, a song or some lyrics in my head, I need to sketch ´em down directly, so they don’t get lost. Sometimes this causes some funny situations, for example when I am in a bar with someone and suddenly need to sketch something on a napkin. I also noticed that my attention of things surrounding me seems to be more open then with most of my friends. Sometimes I stop at places when I see something interesting in form or color like an interesting shadow and I need to take a photo of it to work something new out of it later.
Actually I seem to have a different look at the world, cause oftentimes people say something to me like: „Well ok, I never thought about it that way, but it is a very interesting perspective.“, or just shaking their heads to me commenting: „ok, you are an artist“.
5. Tell us about your best experience in the art world so far.
Everytime I meet someone touched by my art is a magic moment for me, especially when this leads to deep interesting talks abut the themes I discuss visually in my paintings. But I also love to talk with other artists about their individual perspectives of reality and how they communicate them with their art.
6. What practical advice can you give to fellow artists?
Be your own idol to find your own inner strength and language. It is your mind that creates your world with its meanings, so make it beautiful and open.
7. Is the artist life lonely? Please share your thoughts and experiences.
I can only talk about myself here, but yes I think it is. I oftentimes get the feeling my perspective seems to be very different about the world. Art is one kind of communicating this difference with others on a sensitive and visual level, without the limitation or misunderstandings a language can have. This also works with music on an auditive way. So in my opinion creating art and music is some kind of emotional communication to overcome those different mindsets and bringing them together in exchange.
8. What are you working on at the moment and are there any upcoming events you would like to talk about?
At the moment I am working on 8 oil paintings, 1 linocut, I am learning to play Saxophone, I started to write some kind of novel and I am working on concepts for a surreal amateur Arthouse movie project I am planning to do in the future. The more I work in different disciplines, the more I notice how they all affect each other and are growing together.I don’t know what each of this exactly will lead to, but I feel it is all belonging together and will help me to increase over the person I am at the moment.
Instagram: @the_art_of_sascha_lantzsch