Dominik Sartor – I wasn´t the one to know

Dominik Sartor creates imaginative worlds with magical figures in his analog and digital paintings. The artist often works on his paintings for several years. He paints his compositions with different layers of paint, which he abrades and reworks over time. In some paintings, old fragments of paint are even collaged onto the surface of the picture. The density of color traces in the details fascinates and underlines the magical character of the pictures.

The eponymous painting I wasn't the one to know from 2023 visualizes two dreamlike creatures standing in the water. Both figures are characterized by thin limbs reminiscent of animals. The character on the left has a long tail and his head resembles a giraffe. The creature on the right has four spider-like legs with no other arms. The figure on the left hands a kind of gift to the one on the right. They look at each other sweetly and are dressed. The hybrid creatures wear human clothing and are thus irritating in this form of combination. The background of the painting consists of three levels: the sky, an audience of dotted colorful creatures and the water.

The artist is also fascinated by new technologies and the resulting visual forms of expression that characterize his artistic work. Sartor sees painting in virtual space as a search for a new aesthetic. In the series: Is it strange to dance all day?, patterns are presented on the basis of computer-generated UV maps. With the help of a specially developed app, the images are returned to their original form. These are virtually painted figures and creatures reminiscent of Sartor's analog art. With a smartphone and the relevant app, it is possible to see these creatures in augmented reality. In this medium, the forms move in a dynamic rhythm. This vitalization of the beings illustrates Sartor's individual and rich pictorial cosmos.

Dominik Sartor's art consists of a multitude of fascinating figures. Viewers can always recognize new details and narratives in the complex compositions. The artist uses delicate pastel shades that emphasize the cheerful, dreamlike character of the pictures. The characters are often staged in a large crowd in the form of a circle. His art takes up ideas from James Ensor and develops them in a contemporary way. Dominik Sartor's imaginative art fascinates and surprises with its creativity and delicacy.

The exhibition I wasn't the one to know focuses on the artist's most recent works at the Troner Gallery. Dominik Sartor (born 1979 in Frechen near Cologne) lives and works in Cologne. He completed his studies at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the direction of Reinhold Braun and Tal R.

Curated by Wilko Austermann