Work by Norbert Schwontkowski (date and title unknown)

In avoidance of many things, I end up spending way too much time on Facebook.  One of the best things about my Facebook  "friends" is that most of them are either art artists or art related in some way, so, I have lots to look at, often portfolios of images that go on forever.  In this way I came across the work of Norbert Schwontkowski, a German artist born in 1949.  I wasn't aware of his work, so after seeing several of his images on a Facebook album I googled his name, found his "images" section,  and was then able to avoid even more by finding out as much as I could about this wonderful artist.

As a visual person, and as someone who makes images, I'm always looking for those images that speak to me. Schwontkowski's did just that.  He does what I do: combines paint that isn't precise with images that tell a story.  His figures are made with paint, mine with bits and pieces of the photos I've taken through my life.  I love the simplicity of his stories.   Often they are kind of goofy.  He has images with flying saucers and people doing odd things--a man sitting with his feet in a bucket, a woman pushing a shopping cart with lots of white stuff in it. His colors are muted and grayed out, what my students would call "Ugly Colors".  But mostly his work has a melancholy and a sadness that is very attractive to me.  When I look at Schwontkowski's work, I feel as if I have stepped into his dreams, and they are as clear and as honest as they can be. It's a difficult thing to do the kind of work he does--so much gets in the way. But seeing his work reminds of what I need to know and helps to keep me moving forward with the same honesty and clarity.  Thank you Norbert Schwontkowski.