HORSES AND HIPPODROMES
I was 15 years old and all my life I lived in the same village. It was the most boring place where nothing ever happened. I wanted to get away from there. I decided to take a paper route so I could save up for a trip. I might escape to Sweden, to ABBA or leave for Paris; at least to a place where I dreamed about in my teens. With that goal in mind, I took it for granted to get up early. Somehow I even enjoyed to race through this eternal sleeping hamlet on my rattling bike while it was still dark.
It must have been on an early morning in the spring of 1981. I was on my route through the village again when I came face to face with what turned out to become a big inspiration many years later. It was in the main street, halfway through my ride, at the height of the jewelers and the town hall.
It was half past six in the morning and the street was very quiet. From that silence I heard the distant clatter of hooves. The sound came my way. Clutching my bike between my legs waiting on the right side of the road I stood there waiting for what was coming towards me.
The moment seemed charged with energy when a black vital horse emerged. It must have been released from his shed that night and he thoroughly seemed to enjoy his newfound freedom. The situation was surreal yet so realistic and powerful.
The fiery beast approached me at a trot and slowing down the closer he came as though he was searching contact. I reached out my hand to him, but he seemed startled, turned his head away from me and rushed on.
It feld like an encompassing moment, untouchable and unique. Recognizable and indelible. Through the years, I began to cherish this memorable event more and more.
In 1995 I created 'Gallopstreet', I little sculpture of a black horse wearing highheels while standing on a pedestal . It was the first time that I started to use the horse as a symbol in my work Gallopstreet originated after I started the self-portraits series artist in studio. Starting photographing the selfportraits on high heels while at work felt like the vital energy that I witnessed that morning in 1981. Gallopstreet remains like a trophy just like the photographs in the 'artist in studio' series.
Some years later Hippodrome 1 and 2, the white race / circus horses, originated. Appearing strong and vital they form the tumultuously equivalent of Gallopstreet. Meanwhile I had developed myself as an illustrator and graphic designer with a stationery line of Babelle notebooks released in Brazil. Through the years I felt more like a 'businessman' than an artist.
In 2012 I decided to pick up fine art again and left the world of illustration, liscensing and Babelle behind.
The horse symbol also appeared as a prominent mutation in Piggydoghorse and as a mutated bird on top of the Lucky Star Gallery.
