bijou1969.com

Daavid Mörtl uses outdated kitsch objects, celebrities, and monumental modernist architecture (and on one  special occasion handsome hairy men) as the fundamental elements to compose his playful, magical drawings.

Bijou1969: Where did you grow up?

Daavid Mörtl: I grew up in a small town in the DDR (East Germany) close to the West German border. To experience socialism as a kid seems like a good thing retrospectively. It was a small and simple world full of songs that praised the home and nature, friendship and peace. But as we were so close to the border we were able to receive West German television by improvising a little. That was a big influence as well.

B: Do you think that effected your work?

DM: The change from socialism to capitalism had a huge influence on me. A lot of things changed within a short period of time. It was quite a contrast. A modest world turned into a world full of junk food, unnecessary gadgets, novelties, satellite television and colourful rummage.
But I wouldn’t have wanted to be a teenager in the DDR I guess…

B: Where do you work? Can you describe a typical working situation?

DM: I work in an old office building in the city centre of Berlin. A desk is mostly all I need.

B: When did you start drawing?

DM: I just always did.

B: Do you collect anything?

DM: I do collect a lot of the stuff I reference in my drawings. I love weirdly designed objects – design monstrosities with no function, formerly trendy objects that became outmoded. To analyze the ways you perceive the aesthetics of an object once its original trendiness has been abandoned, I find very exciting. My personal collection of objects is a combination of these  kinds of things. On the other hand I also collect figures and figurines of all kinds. So you can understand the subjects I deal with in my drawings by looking at this collection: People in rooms, confronted with architectural situations, confronted with objects and the energy they create together.
I also supply a part of the “need to collect” by drawing as I can’t materially posses everything (even though most of the stuff I can get cheap on Ebay).

B: Can you remember the first gay bar you ever went to? Where was it? What was it like?

DM: That must have been here in Berlin and I think I didn’t feel very comfortable. Just to suddenly get these looks from guys was an absolutely unfamiliar thing. I had to find the people I belong to and the right bars to enjoy this new culture.

images courtesy of the artist.

Mr. Daavid Mörtl’s work was recently featured in Brand Eins’ November 2009 issue: Denken and more of his work can be seen on his website: daavidmoertl.com