Melanie Farrenkopf
Melanie Farrenkopf is a German oil painter based near Munich, known for her vibrant and powerful paintings. For Mel, expressing moods through color and light is essential. Her paintings are exclusively available as analog originals painted on canvas, and not as prints. She has exhibited several times in Germany and Switzerland. Mel’s hallmark series features bathrooms:
“Bathrooms are intimate spaces. Everyone uses them, and everyone is themselves there. You expose yourself and show yourself as you are. Each of us makes this space our own. In hotels, for example, we all find these rooms the same and make them ‘our’ rooms after one night at the latest. Bathrooms show everything! That’s why they are (for me) the perfect place to address contemporary issues.”
melfarrenkopf.com
Can you describe the core themes and emotions you explore in your current body of work?
All my works are known for their lighting moods. My bathroom series is about values and current themes, which I bring closer to the viewer through interior bathroom views.
Why bathrooms? They are intimate spaces. Everyone uses them, and everyone is themselves there. You expose yourself and show yourself as you are. Each of us makes this space our own.
In hotels, for example, we find all these rooms the same and make them "our" rooms after one night at the latest. Bathrooms see everything! That's why they are the perfect place for me to address current issues (for example, my work: PEACE PLEASE, S h i f t, Five minutes to midnight, MANIFEST).
How does your creative process unfold from concept to completion?
It usually takes me a long time to finish a new oil painting. There are lots of things I see that appeal to me when I'm traveling. I collect all of this on my cell phone. Social themes, thoughts, and feelings mix with the impressions from the photo folder, and this is how ideas for new paintings come about.
I work with a rough preliminary sketch on canvas, which I draw on with a pink watercolor pencil. I have no idea where this habit comes from, but I always do it this way, and I always have a small supply of these pencils in my studio so that I don't run out in a creative frenzy.
I then work out the underpainting with diluted oil paint. Now the painting can emerge layer by layer. I often change the content during the creation process by adding objects to the picture that seem important to me during the creative process and later support my statement.
I try to work on just one piece and not on several at the same time, as I want to stay in the mood of the picture.
What inspires you most outside of the visual arts, and how does it influence your work?
Interiors inspire me, psychology fascinates me, and I call myself a light junkie. I am excited by the effect of different lighting moods on people and their surroundings. I once counted the different light sources in my living room at home and came up with 23 lamps plus countless candles.
The light in nature, depending on the country or region and in different weather or times of day, also inspires my creativity and my feelings. My highly sensitive mind absorbs an incredible number of moods, combines them with values, and captures them in oil on canvas.
How do you navigate the balance between personal expression and the commercial aspects of your career?
That's a good question. Am I going to make it? I don't look to the left or right to see what others are doing or what people might like. I simply do what I feel is right and important. I notice from the reactions at art fairs or exhibitions that my works polarize people. Some people are fascinated and agree with me, while others shake their heads uncomprehendingly.
I am happy about this because I am seen. I don't bend myself or follow trends; I do what is important to me.
What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art?
I want to challenge the viewer. In contrast to abstract art, I use concrete representations while at the same time abstracting the message. The viewer is asked to make the connection.
