Paul Kuntze Germany, b. 1995
As a child, Paul Kuntze was already fascinated by ceiling paintings. Whenever he visited an old church, museum, or castle, the first thing he would do was look up. The question of how the painter could create such precise and detailed images, high up on the ceiling, always intrigued him. Kuntze holds the utmost respect for those who were able to achieve such incredible works in the past.
In his series "Modern Fresco," he combines two styles from different artistic eras. Drawing from abstract expressionism, he attempts to depict monumental scenes of the heavens and gods, evoking memories of classical ceiling frescoes from the Baroque period. Rather than fully rendering the scene, he hints at figures and faces, encouraging viewers to engage their own creativity. Kuntze strives for precision and aesthetic quality in every brushstroke. His paintings consist of many layers, beginning with a background gradient created with acrylic sprays. Thin layers of clouds follow, and finally, individual figures and clouds are rendered in thickly applied paint to achieve the best possible contrast.
"Even as a child, i was fascinated by Frescos. The first thing I did when I went to old museums or churches was to look up. I always wondered how the painter could work so precise and detailed on these high ceilings. I have so much respect for those who did such impressive work back then.
In my series "Modern Fresko“ I try to combine two styles of painting from different periods of time. In the style of abstract expressionism i want to create a new kind of monumental scenery which should remind the viewer of traditional ceiling paintings. I paint god scenes. The bodies, faces and clouds are only implied so the viewer is left with their own creativity. I want the brushstrokes to be as precise and esthetic as possible. I use acrylics and sometimes sprays for the artworks."