Max Brenner

Max Brenner
PATHWAYS

The artist´s compositions consist of countless sequences that come together to form a large whole. Max Brenner´s work create and own world: The term doom-scrolling kicks in while discovering his complex works of art. The immoderate navigation through negative messages in the cyberspace are recalled in the sequences and the viewer can experience a different kind of doom-scrolling. Brenner likes to point out the importance of awareness of how the multiple news messages and images everyone consumes everyday, affect one’s mood. It has been known for a long time that social networks, in addition to their positive aspects, also harbour an equally dangerous potential in terms of the ability to influence their users. However, this knowledge, as well as the fact that all of our personal data is stored externally when we use it, seems to have little effect on our behaviour. We still want to believe that we can move freely within the channels and that it is our decision what we see. But this is not true. An algorithm reacts with our viewing habits.

For some time now artists have been preoccupied with questions about image behavior in the digital world. How do they affect our immediate reality and mental health? Based on the concept of sensory overload, which underlies the stream of images on social media Brenner’s work examines specific politics of seeing that have been successively inscribed in our sensory perception since the beginning of the digital revolution.

The focus of Max Brenner´s work is put on a main scenario and especially on the feeling that this scenario should convey. The basic idea is already there at the beginning and what happens in detail emerges over time, in countless sequences and with the help of personal image pools which have been accumulated through the artists algorithm-driven image research. Starting out on one single term the artist let himself be driven by the internet. After tons of suggestions Brenner intuitively decides what he wants to perceive and saves it for his project. It is always surprising where it takes him, Brenner says, when he gives chance a chance. After the research Brenner begins to draw the individual sequences and puts them into a new context like a collage. In this process, he dives deeper and deeper into the image and adds more small events to expand the narratives. Since the compositions are very dynamic and often spatial, the viewers can zoom in and out of them. Accordingly, one can lose one-selves in this world or distance one-selves from it.

In Pathways – the Carte Blanche #8 exhibition we see silkscreens, hand silkscreens, wood reliefs and acrylic drawings on canvas. Max Brenner likes to play with the contradiction between the notion of silkscreen and its connotation to mass production and the few – three to five copies he does from one drawing finalizing each work with different color to make it unique. Brenner likes to compare and explore the differences and he differentiates himself from other artists by putting a lot of effort into the creation from drawings to unique large format hand screen prints on canvas.

The same attention to detail also informs the physically demanding printing process for each and every one of Brenners artworks. Textile screen printing to explore the potential of a drawing, to give it more weight, refinement, presence and richness of facets. The artists main goal is to create a unique mood in the room through each of the painting-like objects that are created with the help of screen printing. The two wooden reliefs (monolith) „the gap“ and „time machine“ shown a the Aurora premises are made by using milling techniques that resemble printing blocks.

The artist steps away from two-dimensionality into an installative work of art and likes to see these wooden works independent from its main function as a printing block. These woodcuts are milled into dyed wood by a large CNC robot. Starting from screen prints, than drawing on paper, which is then photographed and vectorized. Each intermediate step automatically adds additional characteristic features to the final object. Brenner likes the fact that the robot is able to imitate his hand drawing and gestures and puts them into another dimension transferring even very complex drawings onto a wooden plate without losing the character of the artist´s handwriting. The power of images is present. Brenner illustrates it in his works and reverses its energy when he liberates the motifs from their original contexts in the artistic process, manipulating them and combining them to form new images, characterized by both light-hearted and anxious moods. Max Brenner makes parallel worlds visible and allows both without losing himself in paradoxes.

The artist’s message is clear: We should not believe everything we see, but we should never fear seeing.

This space is dedicated to showcasing contemporary artistic perspectives, offering both local and international artists the opportunity to exhibit their work through a hybrid format: an online virtual gallery alongside a physical exhibition space located within Aurora.