The visual and philosophical poetics of the expressionist artist Vian Borchert

Tell us what you do and your beginnings?

My artwork is mainly abstract, it is inspired by my environment, my journey, and my life experience along with my dreams. I describe my artwork as a form of visual poetry. I have been doing art as far as I can remember. I grew up in an artistic household where the art originated from my mother’s side of the family while my father is more inclined toward math and science, yet he greatly supports the arts. Thus, I grew up seeing art created around me and attending numerous art exhibitions and art events. Through this, art came naturally to me.

I was born with a so-called gift and natural talent for art. This artistic talent was evident to those around me from my parents to the school teachers and principals who guided me on this artistic path. For me, art was not a choice, it was something intrinsic within me. Later on, in high school, I won Scholastic awards and scholarships to attend art college. I am a graduate and “notable alumni” of the Corcoran College of Art and Design George Washington University, Washington D.C.

After graduating, I made it a point to travel. My travels led me to meet more artists who became friends, and I partook in group and solo exhibitions earlier in my career. My earlier work revolves around the figure. I am primarily a figurative artist. I would have my friends and family members pose for me while I abstracted the figure and painted it in an expressionist style aiming not to capture a likeness of the model, but to capture the emotions that occupy the mind.

My figurative abstract expressionist early works revolved around the psychology of the figure, what occupies the mind along with the twist and turn of the body, and how the figure gazes back at the viewer. The work was meant to create a dialogue between the audience and the painting allowing for a cognitive experience to occur in a thought-provoking manner. In the last couple of years though, I decided to move away from the figure and concentrate on the abstract world via the lens of seascapes, landscapes, and even dreamscapes.

Through the latest abstraction, my intent was to seek a connection to my subconscious and allow that mysterious part of the mind to come through via imaginative works that emerge onto the canvas. I wanted my ideas to blossom and bloom in an intellectual way through the abstract field.

One thing that remains clear from my earlier work till now is that the artwork is always delivered through my innovative expressionist vision and unique modern abstract aesthetics. And throughout the years, the paintings are still executed through an expressive and painterly touch with strong colors and gestural brush strokes, the signature of my style.

What does your work aim to say?

My artwork aims to say many things. The message does change and evolve through my growth and through the years. Early on, I was interested in psychology and deep silent dialogue between the viewer and the figure. However, In my new abstract work, and especially the work that is inspired by the sea and the sky, there is a celebration and love for nature and the environment while highlighting the importance of nature in one’s life. The artwork intends to be a bridge that intersects the connectivity of art and the environment emphasizing the importance of living with nature and its benefits for humans.

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