Journey through India by Train
| Edition | Original Art |
|---|---|
| Sujet | Portrait |
| Technique | Painting |
| Height | 60 cm |
| Width | 85 cm |
| Length/Depth | 1 cm |
Painting, oil on canvas, 2022
The style of the painting is strongly influenced by Orientalist art, though I have employed a more contemporary, freer painting technique. The paint is applied evenly, yet thickly and in multiple layers. The oil paints used are of the highest quality.
As for the subject matter, I sought to capture, on the one hand, the romantic, fantastical atmosphere one tends to fall into whilst travelling. On the other hand, however, I was also interested in the ambivalence between the image in one’s memory and the actual moment (captured in the last picture in the gallery). The memory described relates to a trip through India with friends in 2017.
I built and sawn the stretcher frame for the painting myself from recycled scrap wood (from pallets from India – that is, tropical woods of some sort). The use and recycling of materials, wherever possible, is very important to me. The stretcher frame therefore has a somewhat distinctive character along the edges of the painting and does not have the same appearance as one made from industrially manufactured slats. I really like this look, which has become part of my style. The quality of the cotton canvas used in such self-stretched canvases is also significantly higher than that of most ready-made products.
Valentin Weller
I began my artistic career with an apprenticeship as a stonemason and sculptor. I am now studying figurative painting at Alanus University in Andreas Orosz’s class.
The subjects of my paintings are varied, and what they all have in common is, above all, a wide-ranging interest in the world. I pursue my spirit of discovery using various methods; sometimes I paint from memory, but whenever possible I also enjoy painting ‘en plein air’ on location. My enjoyment of various photographic techniques also helps me to engage with a subject.
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