Interview with Christopher König
Christopher, Tim König holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in "Culture and media education with art and music as a specialization". In the meantime he has taken part in international exhibitions and sold his paintings to private collectors. His art moves between abstraction with strong color volumes, performing arts and drawings with ink. His ideas result from consistently listening to the music as well as from his everyday experiences. For him, the music is the mainspring of his work and this process of listening to the music he tries in turn to mirror it in his art. Consistently, non-stop, he tries to reconnect his painterly, artistic elements again and again. The techniques vary in one picture and evolve through and through.
In your practice, music plays an integral role, often guiding your creative process and the direction of your artwork. Can you describe in detail the steps you take when translating a specific piece of music into a visual form? How do you interpret the auditory elements such as rhythm, tempo, and melody into tangible aspects like color, form, and composition on the canvas?
Music is, so to speak, the catalyst for my art. Music accelerates my creative processes. I listen to all kinds of music across genres. I hear a certain beat, or a melody, or a sound, which in turn provides me with the breeding ground for the visual composition. It's a synesthetic process, so to speak. When I listen to the music, I see color patterns and compositions in my mind's eye. It is also a subjective feeling that I associate with the lyricism of a musical composition, a text. I then think about the choice of colors and the feeling the song gives me. I transfer this feeling into a painting depending on my personal moods and life circumstances. It's always a fast-moving snapshot. A moment of what is heard and seen. The painterly composition always depends on the subjective, individual feeling, whether I choose abstract or representational painting. The song even influences my personal style and rhythm during the painting process. The speed of the brush strokes and spatula strokes often adapts to the rhythm. It is listening within oneself with the hope of achieving a discursive contribution to society. I see the compositions in my mind's eye. Music provides me with the nourishment for abstractions. I often quote pieces of song in my works to create a reference that this life circumstance and this song influence me emotionally.
Your bipolar diagnosis profoundly affects your artistic expression, presenting unique challenges and opportunities. How do the different phases of bipolar disorder—mania and depression—specifically influence your choice of colors, techniques, and subject matter? Can you provide a detailed example of a work created during each phase and explain the contrasting elements that reflect your mental state at the time?
Bipolar disorder significantly influences my choice of colors and the type of composition. The painting process is often subject to my moods, which unfortunately I often succumb to. In mania, you often have a feeling of elation and increased performance. The flood of ideas acts as a catalyst for creative processes. The colors are rich in contrast and full of energy. I try to use contrasts and sensitive color perception as a theme for my paintings. I worked on a portrait series during the hypomanic phases. An example of this is the painting “Bipolar Study,” where I chose two different colored eyes. The white eye symbolizes mania, and the other eye symbolizes depression. The goal of bipolar illness is to return to normality, so to speak, through medication and therapy. This is my primary psychological goal. I think this painting nicely summarizes the two worlds I move between. It shows the conflict of being torn between mania and depression, which often alternate. But art was and is always my anchor and the necessary constant for the creative process. In Mania, the colors are very happy, very hopeful, and encouraging. In depression, a slight melancholy plays a role in the choice of songs, colors, and composition. Everything is a little darker, shades of blue, black, and gray, and the portraits and abstractions radiate a slight melancholy. Art is and always will be a mirror of myself. Painting serves me like a daily diary; on Instagram, and in combination with the music I listen to, I can often enter the reflection process and become aware of my moods.
Your use of varied mediums, from spray cans to acrylics to ink, showcases a dynamic approach to art-making. How do you decide which medium best suits the conceptual and aesthetic goals of a particular piece? Can you walk us through your decision-making process, from initial inspiration to the final execution, highlighting how each medium’s unique properties contribute to the overall impact of your work?
I always try to vary the media within an artistic concept. For me, this is closely linked to my personal curiosity and an open view of the world. It gives me incredible joy to put the media into context within a painting. Inspiration is a quick decision that a piece of music conveys to me. It comes from a feeling of spontaneity and is difficult to describe. It depends on my mood and emotional state. For abstractions, I usually use acrylic paint, spray, or both media in combination. For sketches, I use ink. I like the fast-moving character of ink and the fact that you can integrate elements of drip painting. I sometimes work cyclically; I often see the composition and choice of media in my mind's eye before the painting process actually takes place. Music provides me with the inspiration for the compositions, and, similar to a principle of resonance, I transfer the music I hear onto canvas as a mirror of myself. I love the fast-moving nature of the acrylic spray in combination with water, which creates a unique effect. In general, I thrive on the fast pace of the art process. Once the painting is finished, I often recognize things that I hadn't specifically thought of before, and the principle of chance is a quality that I often make use of during the painting process. As I said, I can already see the image in my mind's eye; the choice of media varies depending on my mood and mood and my personal, individual feeling. I often associate a white canvas with the feeling of meditation and bliss.
Integrating different musical genres and visual art forms is a cornerstone of your practice. How do you systematically incorporate influences from diverse musical styles into your artwork? Can you discuss a project where multiple genres influenced the final piece, detailing the specific aspects of each genre that were visually represented and the techniques used to achieve this integration?
An example of the integration of different musical styles in my artistic practice is the painting “Never Let Me Down Again,” inspired by the band Depeche Mode. The song takes up the topic of addiction, and the best friend symbolizes the addictive substance in the song, which strengthens the personal ride. It's a journey and coping out of depression. The conflict with your own addiction and the hope of reaching for the stars. I created the background with quick brush strokes, and I used the song “Killpop” by Slipknot for the contours of the portrait in order to integrate a certain dynamic into the painting work. Since the song means hope to me, the colors are also lighter. As an example, the Depeche Mode song provides me with powerful imagery and is stylized by various metaphors. To be more precise, the song laid the foundation for the painting, and then I adapted the rhythm from the techno song to adapt this rhythm to the contours of the portrait.
Naming your artworks after songs creates an intertextual layer that enriches the viewer’s experience. How do you select a song to pair with a specific artwork, and what criteria do you use to ensure that the song’s themes, emotions, and narratives are accurately reflected in the visual composition? Can you provide a case study of a particular artwork and its corresponding song, explaining the parallels and connections between the two?
This question is very complex. And requires a lot of introspection. It is actually my intention to use references and quotes from the songs to allude to my own individual story that I have experienced myself, or to ensure freedom of interpretation. In both cases, it is a fascinating tool for me to play with quotes that have been taken from different musical genres. As an example, I'll take a painting inspired by The Rolling Stones called "Anybody Seen My Baby?" For me, the song symbolizes the longing for a partnership and stable relationship. In this case, it is an actual autobiography drawn from my personal experience. The longing for a stable partnership, the rhythm, and the chorus of the song have an invigorating effect on me and provide me with a specific choice of bright tones. In combination with the song by The Rolling Stones, I chose a techno song by Odymel called “Touch My Body," which deliberately breaks with the previous song I heard. The techno song encourages me to use quick strokes of the brush and a style that is free and detached from any expectations. It is a very personal moment of intrinsic emotional processing. The abstraction lives from this lightness, liveliness, and strong contrasts, which both songs helped me express in combination.
Your artistic journey has been marked by periods of addiction, depression, and personal crises, which have influenced your work profoundly. How do these experiences shape the thematic content, emotional depth, and visual style of your art? Can you share specific examples of works that were directly inspired by these personal struggles and explain how they serve as both a form of self-expression and a therapeutic process?
Of course. They were difficult times. I am grateful and happy that today, thanks to a good psychiatrist, I am on medication and I am no longer at the mercy of the hopelessness and helplessness of the manic and depressive phases. I have been self-medicating with alcohol for a long time. Of course this is the wrong path, and in therapy you learn new skills and techniques to find a healthier path and result in a healthier compensation. The fight is omnipresent, and in fact there is a painting that only has black and white as the color. Just a battle between mania and depression and the longing for stability. For me, art is the best form of therapy to express my feelings. On dark days as well as on good days. She is always my faithful companion. For years, addiction numbed emotions I was unaware of. In therapy, I learn to better deal with my emotions, which can sometimes be very fast-moving and profound. As an example, I take the painting “Out of the Dark,” inspired by Falco, which also deals with the eternal struggle with the desires of addiction. I didn't want to answer this topic at first because it is something very personal and is often stigmatized in society as a weakness.
Experimentation and avoiding stagnation are vital to your practice, leading you to constantly explore new techniques and media. How do you balance the desire for continuous innovation with the need to develop a recognizable and coherent artistic style? Can you discuss a period of significant experimentation in your career and how it contributed to your artistic evolution while maintaining a cohesive body of work?
I constantly try to avoid stagnation. For me, stagnation means standstill and regression. In a creative context, it is extremely important for me to constantly develop myself and to put new media in a new context. My style is very versatile; that's important to me. I don't just want to serve a subject; I want to bring the audience closer to the fact that versatility and positive effects can have on their own art. I think that I have my own style within me that always breaks through and is expressed, whether it is sketches with ink on paper, abstractions, or descriptive compositions on canvas. My desire for constant innovation is coupled with my curiosity to constantly research and discover new styles of music. Yes, there was a phase in 2020 where, inspired by Gerhard Richter, I tried to find my own abstract style. Using the spatula technique and various hand pressures, I tried to create paintings that are characterized by a certain volume of color. At the moment I'm experimenting with pouring and brush strokes on portrait works, sketching with ink and generating ideas for further works, and also constantly working on new color compositions and abstract paintings. What helps me a lot personally is a kind of creative cycle where I keep moving back and forth between the different topics like a kind of pendulum. If I work with ink, an abstraction follows again. Do I work descriptively or abstractly? Both are often mutually dependent, and I often integrate both elements into my artistic work. Due to all of these factors, there are certain periods of time where the works are often similar but are never identical because they differ through their subjective choice of colors and their own rhythm. A perfect example of this drive and desire for innovation is the painting “Question of Time,” inspired by Depeche Mode. We are all slaves to time and its dynamics. We are subject to the impermanence and nature of human life.
Your goal of creating art that unifies people regardless of political or religious views is ambitious and impactful. How do you intentionally design your artworks to appeal to a broad and diverse audience? Can you describe specific elements—such as symbolism, color choices, and subject matter—that you employ to transcend cultural and ideological boundaries and foster a sense of universal connection?
In my opinion, the feeling of universal connection is a very valuable good to strive for. I try to generate a free, individual view of images through association. Each viewer sees different shapes or figures because of the way I design the picture. This gives me a lot of joy personally and ensures a cross-societal discourse. The choice of colors, symbolism, and themes is more abstract in nature. But because of my way of working, after the painting process, by chance and through abstraction, certain figures and themes may emerge that are generated from the free painting process. For me, abstraction combines all points of a universal connection to the viewer. I always approach the painterly compositions with an unprejudiced feeling. I would also like this impartiality from the viewer. Art is always subjective and in the eye of the beholder. It's definitely very exciting. Crossing boundaries is what art can do. Something that language cannot do; it is characterized by barriers, as well as different countries, different socialization, influences, and histories. Art can connect, detached from different cultures. That is their privilege.
The interplay between intentionality and spontaneity is crucial in your creative process. How do you navigate the tension between planned elements and impromptu decisions during the creation of a piece? Can you detail an instance where an unexpected change or accident during the creation process led to a significant breakthrough or added a new dimension to the artwork?
In fact, the component of chance plays a crucial role in my creative work. Elements of drip painting, or work with a classic spatula, always bring with them a new discovery and play with chance. The choice of color is my personal decision; by moving the pouring color back and forth, for example, chance works and you give up control during the creation process. Breakthrough? No, I don't think so. Nevertheless, I am constantly inspired, and I play with chance like a little child during the creative process. An example of this random process is the painting “Black Chessboard." The title might suggest that everything is calculated, but the painting was created by an enormous degree of chance. So an opposite effect. An accident hasn't happened to me yet because I'm very focused and focused on completing the painting.
Participating in international exhibitions and selling your work to private collectors have likely influenced your perspective on the art world. How do these experiences impact your creative process, particularly in terms of the themes you explore and the way you present your art? Can you provide insights into how feedback from diverse audiences and the demands of the market shape your artistic decisions and long-term goals?
As a rule, these mechanisms do not affect me. During the artistic process I am with myself and my emotions. For me, art is therapy and an expression of my emotions, which are characterized by bipolar disorder. I have no desire to become famous or to generate value. Of course I am pleased about this development. But as I said, I am in dialogue with myself during the artistic process. I transfer these emotions onto canvas as a means to my own end. Nevertheless, great artists such as Gerhard Richter, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picosso, Monet, Van Gogh and other well-known artists inspired me. In fact, I am very impressed by the diversity and the endless variety and inventiveness of artistic expression. To be honest, I am suspicious of the art market and also the generation of value. I fundamentally do not understand these mechanisms. All I do and can do is create art.
