Der Spaß ist vorbei!

Maximilian Völter

Painting - Oil, Oil Sticks, metal, wood, yarn on canvas

80 x 100 x 12 cm

"Der Spaß ist vorbei!" is another painting in my current "People" series. At first glance, a figure standing on a swing can be seen in a very open and lively depiction. However, if you let your gaze wander along the attached chain, you will see at this point at the latest that man's joy will probably come to an abrupt end. The last links are opened by force, the chain breaks and ends abruptly. The first impression here gives way to the realization that we are not observing a happy act, but the precise moment just before an inevitable catastrophe. But that realization rests solely with us observers, while the character pauses in the millisecond in which she is not yet aware of the impending catastrophe and is happily standing on the swing. The use of the materials wood and iron points to the central role they have played so far in the development of human civilization, which ultimately culminates in our current reality of life and, in the case of this painting, has also placed the character in his current situation and yet at the same time carry the potential for approaching catastrophe and doom. This painting is not just a representation of my perception of everyday human behavior, but deliberately plays with the theme of observing an impending catastrophe and our greed for sensory overload in a society of spectacle with its oversupply of sensory experiences. Very strong stimuli are often required to capture our attention and what could be stronger than observing a catastrophe from a supposedly safe distance? The sudden realization that you are actually right in the middle of it.