Martin Herler
Martin Herler was born in 1972 on a farm in Berching, in southern Germany, where he now lives again with his family after living in Munich, Cologne and London.
He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Nantes and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he graduated as a master-class student under Professor Ben Willikens. But while his teacher painted deserted rooms in shades of grey with purist austerity, Martin Herler developed his colourful style, whose magical beauty gains depth and complexity in detail. Martin Herler describes his successful development from a former student to an independent artist as "going into the desert to discover the jungle."
His works oscillate between historical and allegorical themes, which are expressed both in realistic and abstract ways. Martin Herler often finds his inspiration in old photos, which he searches for on the internet and at flea markets. His pictures tell stories and sometimes even history. Thus, in his blurred "Fliehbilder" (eng.: escape pictures), he addresses how our modern news media processes ephemeral events.
Out of his own, other people's and collective memories, Herler creates images of experience that are vivid, intense colour visions. The captivating luminosity of his colour magic is heightened to perfection by a softly blurred look that achieves fabulous effects.
Now and then, even monochrome protagonists in black and white colour make their appearances within the pictures, resulting in an exciting interplay of colour composition that ultimately amazes with its harmony. At the same time, Herler creates a fusion of superficial and profound beauty that draws inspiration from the richness of nature as well as from the depths of the human being.
