In her 21 years living and working as an artist in Abu Dhabi, German expat Ines A Landmesser has seen the city morph from a town with big ambitions into the lightning-paced metropolis surrounding us today. Unsurprisingly, then, Tomorrow is Now – her second solo show at the Ghaf Gallery – puts the individual’s position within urban society at the heart of its agenda.
What is the main focus of your work?
I’ve lived in Abu Dhabi since 1989, so my work reflects the community and all the changes I have seen. I’ve been painting for 35 years, but only when I came to Abu Dhabi was I able to really start with the work that I am doing today. In my paintings, I tend to have a major area which I call the ‘open space’, which represents society, future projects and aspirations. And there is this small area which is more the kind of personal space which reflects my small world. Which is supposed to be less important, but is obviously more significant to me. Like how in your magazine you put together what is important for that week because you feel the time is right, this is also what I am doing. I have clients who like to get some explanation of my work and others who are happy seeing what they want to see, which is fine for me. As an artist I reflect something from my side. For me it’s important that people feel there’s something they’re connected to when they look at my work.
How do you keep track of your ideas?
I get some ideas from newspapers and articles I see, especially when I’m travelling. I keep little pieces of paper and a pencil in my handbag for making notes. Sometimes I just write a sentence, a phrase or a poem, then when I come home I put them on my desk and see what’s still interesting to me. For example, when I went to see the Linkin Park concert at Yas Arena, I could see 20 or 30 paintings in my mind when I heard the music and saw the stage. So in situations like this I grab a ticket or something to make notes on.
How about the actual physical creation process?
When I do mixed media or acrylics, pieces usually take just a couple of days to finish. But for oil paintings I have developed a certain technique, so it takes three or four months to finish one painting. I create layers and then there’s a drying process, before going over it again to achieve a certain type of structure and depth. So I don’t work with any extra volumiser or anything; I work with pure paint. It takes a lot of patience. But when a good idea comes up, I paint faster. It’s like you want to throw the colours on to the canvas, splashing the colours on because you feel it’s a good moment for that expression. I also sometimes work with ceramics. I’ve created some images before on my ceramic pieces which are now coming up in some of my oil paintings. As an artist you have certain recurring expressions that are always there.
What’s your favourite piece in the show? Is there one painting that ties the theme together?
A piece called ‘Tomorrow is Now’, which the show is named after. It’s only a small piece, but it’s the centre for me. The major colour is red, and I’ve drawn small figures with pencils in the fresh oil paint. Many years ago I started with the idea of movement and connection, images that people show. It’s also a piece of art which is just a nice piece itself, which you like to see but don’t want to think about. You have to feel comfortable with it.
Ines A Landmesser’s exhibition Tomorrow is Now runs from December 5-15 at the Ghaf Gallery. Entry is free.
