BURKHARD LOHREN - HEROES

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In his pop art collages the artist Burkhard Lohren works with contemporary topics. Pop art will always be associated
with Andy Warhol, and like Warhol, Lohren loves to use repetition in his themes and subjects, the glitter
world of the „stars“ often being depicted in his work.
Like his artistic interests, Lohren‘s mode of work is very versatile. The artist has developed a distinctive
mixture and combination of styles using digital collages and painting. He has created his own language
which is transformed to his world of images. The work process usually consists of various small steps. Selfmade
photographs, drawings, random finds, illustrations and lettering are processed to digital collages.
These collages areprinted on canvas which is undercoated in different colours beforehand. These collages, compiled
on a PC now remain unchanged or become the basis for further steps where they may be partially covered
with paint, marker-pen or other pens/pencils, occasionally the artist reduces the print through sandpapering.
»Heroes«
In many of his works, Lohren altercates with intentional and unintentional cliches about the United States of
America.
Collages of the series „Heroes“ sometimes question the fact that Hollywood legends or popstars are ever increasingly
seen as heroes, as „new gods“, or should simply be seen as hommages. However, are these the true
Icons or is it all just another story thought up by the Disney Studios, and Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck are the
real heroes?
Warhol, for example, generally considered popular culture a worthy subject in art, he placed emphasis on the
attention and entertainment factor, produced an interplay between wishful thinking and disenchantment. Burkhard
Lohren‘s work doesn‘t usually deal with simply an image, but new or further dimensions regarding content
are added, using unexpected combinations, for example, using text exerpts.
Not the star alone is in the foreground, one doesn‘t only see a radiant Marilyn Monroe but is confronted with
critical quotes from the Hollywood Icon. A film-still from „The Outlaw Josey Wales“ shows Clint Eastwood with
his revolvers beneath which an excerpt from the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the United States
Constitution is placed, dealing with the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.
The artist does not however try to preach by pointing a finger, but rather prompts the viewer to reflect on the
subject matter. In other works in this series, for example, the collages with Jean-Paul Belmondo or David Bowie,
Lohren dispenses with critical elements, they are a tribute to the stars.ente. Sie sind eine Anerkennung.
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bURKHARD lOHREN - hEROES