about the artist

'Thus he found familiar things everywhere, albeit mysteriously mixed and paired, and thus peculiar things often created their own order, unique him. Soon he noticed the interconnection in everything. Soon he did not see anything by itself.' (Novalis - Friedrich v. Hardenberg)

The use of multitude of techniques, materials and visual methods is the characteristic feature of Staudt s work. He uses materials as divise (as spray paint, acrylic, marker and printing ink), different styles (as Pop, Graffiti, Informel), the media he chooses includes photography, digital as well as drawing and to paint.

In his works he creates a fascinating dialogue between these different dimensions. Such dialogue is characterised by thoughtful and often surprising arrangements. This is achieved by graphic 'symbols', spontaneous visual gestures, graffiti 'quotations', long brushstrokes interrupted and contrasted by broken lines, liquid and vivid as well as soft and strong structures, effective use of coloraccents in the context of black and white structures, shapes which float between abstract and desciptive and disintegration and condensation.

His profound knowledge of various printing techniques and the corresponding possibilities of digital manipulation enable Staudt to experiment an almost wide level, which he uses to employ new processes, photo, painting and techniques of printing pre- and re works.

His methods to reconcile the heterogenius nature of his works include layering, phasing, overlapping, overpainting, wiping over of shapes and motives. As a result reality appears in his works as a reproduced and medialised form which is his reflected in his tangible motives. In the succesors of Pop Art reflecting the ´reality´created by mass media, consumerism and the banal and mondane reality of every day life.

Industrial and urban motives, street scenes and cars are therefore characteristic motives. These disparant visual fragments of reality which reflect the synchronicity and non-synchronicity. of a globalized and media dictated lifes are arrogant using the methods of collages. Further more the visual methods mentioned above enhance the pression of fragmentation and thereby make the beholder recently aware of the vunlerability of reality. Staudt s works time and time again revolve around the discourse of painting, drawing and printing techniques, i.e. suround the dualism of unique and reproduction. Walter Benjamin instigated the devise of arts aura of unique mass and authenticity which was directly linked to the handwriting of the artist. In his famous essay 'Art in the age of technical reproduction, 1936', in todays world this topic is more relevant than ever.

T. Staudt: 'The increased role computers influence our perception through their use of graphical methods (video, games, internet, design), the more do i feel an urge to use my own hands to until individuality to apinture and blur digital traces. As a result a painting or an analogue photo is a unique piece of art and erase any. The end result is a dualism of classical craftsmanship and digital techniques (digitalscans / computer / digitalprints).'

Such dualism between computer and canvas, between individual handwriting and anonymised visual reproduction becomes obvious by the search for neutralisation of contradictions and equalisation, in his works. At the same time there is a strong sense of intention to create orientation and authenticity in a reality which is consists of disparate, multilayered fragments, collages which appear to 'mystically mixed' (Novalis).

People see the world in glossy magazines which they are prevented from seeing by celebrities (Siegfried Krakauer 'Die Fotografie'). It is in such sense that Staudts works invite the beholder to reflect in various and suspenseful ways.

(Eva Schöning - Bochum - © 2023)