Shadows, distortion, lust
- Jonas
The role of the body seems to be becoming more abstract in today’s world. Social life increasingly takes place in digital spaces, and the representation of the body is often more important than its physical presence. It goes so far that the digital depiction of the body triggers feedback into the physical realm—such as when cosmetic surgeries are performed to align one’s features with digital filters, or when a workout becomes mostly about the mirror selfie afterwards. In general, our perception of the body is often reduced to its function as our physical shell that carries us through the world. It only comes into focus in its representative function or in times of illness.
These thoughts run through my mind on the way home from visiting Lou Hoyer. I came across her art through two drawings exhibited at the BCMA project space in Kreuzberg. One of them, “MIT DIR” (“WITH YOU”), shows a polluted pond at the edge of a highway junction. A slope covered in grasses and a few sparse trees run through the composition like a colorful ribbon, standing out from the otherwise bleak, grey scene. It appears like a raging sea of flames. In the foreground, two women sit opposite each other in an intimate pose. One of them holds a neon-green branch that pierces through the mouth and upper body of the other woman. It’s unclear whether she is still in the process of committing this brutal act or trying to help her.
Hoyer manages to portray the scene—suspended between wild beauty and sobering bleakness—as something wonderful that draws you in, even without fully understanding it. You feel with the figures without knowing what emotions would be appropriate to the situation.
Her work ranges from fairytale-like figuration to wildly expressionistic portrayals of nature, to her latest explorations in abstraction. But at the center of it all is always the human body. Sometimes it is distorted, merges with other bodies or the environment, suggests motion, or is in the process of transforming into other beings. Her works range from small-format drawings to large, fresco-like wall pieces created as site-specific works for exhibitions—such as in the group exhibition “Transporös” at Kunstraum Potsdam, where she painted a 4 x 8 meter mural directly onto the glass front of the exhibition space.
Hoyer describes herself as a “drawer who also does performances.” In one of her exhibitions, she staged the opera “Where Are My Masterpieces”. Set in a supermarket, it deals with discounts, loyalty points, consumerism, love, and gratitude.
The wonderful, dreamy aspects in her art often mix with the bizarre and surreal. During my visit to her studio, we quickly begin talking about one of her central themes—physicality. Hoyer sees her body as the boundary between herself and the outside world. She tells me how she experiences strong physical reactions in various situations—sometimes even when viewing her own work.
In her world, the body is an important tool for sensing oneself—as our mortal shell, as the physical limitation of the self, and also very specifically in her creative process. Works like “SELBST (anamorph) II” are so large that they require the full use of her body to draw strokes that reach far across the surface. The physical act of painting thus becomes an essential part of the work itself. It inscribes itself into the artwork and determines what is possible, and the execution fully engages both body and mind.
This is different with her smaller drawings. Here, she needs only her hand and arm to fill the page, allowing her imagination to have a much stronger influence on the work. Intricate, detailed pieces full of mysticism and stories are the result.
Another important element in Hoyer’s art is the shadow—a manifestation of our physical presence. While shadows are immaterial, they exist only because our bodies are made of matter. For Lou, they represent transformation, change, and vitality: “For me, the shadow is an entry point from my body into figuration, fantasy, storytelling. That’s where it all becomes real—in the shadows.”
Shadows are part of us, yet also independent. They can connect us with things outside our physical reach. They can be manipulated, but never fully controlled. They do what the artist often does with the human figure in her work—distort and create something new. This distortion, which Hoyer frequently mentions in conversation, is not only visual for her, but also an emotional experience—“to open up, to be torn apart, to be a mother.” All of this is “exciting” for her and not necessarily good or bad—it’s simply something that drives her in her art.
The fusion of the sensual and the physical, of body and shadow, culminates in what the artist calls lust: “Fantasy and direct sensuality—together, that’s where lust arises for me.” And by lust, she doesn’t just mean sexual desire—for her, it’s a broader feeling. It quickly becomes clear how all-encompassing and profound Lou Hoyer’s understanding of art is. She stages operas, creates paintings, but also organizes shadow plays in her daughter’s kindergarten. Beyond “color, composition, rhythm,” the social aspect is also very important to her. As she puts it: “For me, it’s important that art is a place where people meet, talk about things, or experience something together.”
Lou Hoyer (* 1985 in Berlin) lives and works in Potsdam, Germany. Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions, among others at Kunstraum Potsdam, Eigen + Art Lab and Galerie Laetitia Gorsy.
Who should read this?
