Thorsten Brinkmann

Diverse, found, second-hand objects and clothing make up the oeuvre of Thorsten Brinkmann’s photography, performance, sculptures, and installations. Describing himself as a serial collector, Brinkmann accumulates and brings new meaning to society’s discarded objects. In his series Portraits of a Serialsammler, he works as the actor, director, and photographer. In these theatrical self-portraits he alludes to compositions of old and contemporary art masters, while simultaneously bringing something totally fresh by masking the human figure almost entirely with found clothing and items. The head is consistently covered throughout the series by a variety of objects, including: purses, trash bins, tennis racquet covers, lampshades, pieces of fabric, flower pots, etc. His unconventional, performative portraits bring about a unique tension and confusion between the objects and the human body. His images look majestic and frightening, fantastic and peculiarly realistic. In addition to these photographic dramatizations, Brinkmann also uses his collected objects to create ready-mades, sculptures, and installation environments.

"Expressions are transmitted through body language, since the face is concealed beneath the absurd head coverings. Brinkmann leaves nothing to chance—neither his position in the space nor the equipment for his provisional photo studios, such as carpeting, backdrops, and props. His combinations lead to something new. The stasis of the situation is fascinating, since it lends the pose meaning, yet at the same time, bitter irony oozes from all the seams of the image."

–Matthias Harder, Actions and Alterations

Born in Herne, Germany in 1971, Thorsten Brinkmann currently lives and works in Hamburg. He is the recent recipient of the Finkenwerder Art Prize, which he was awarded for his distinct body of work which oscillates between different types of artistic media. In 2011 he was a resident artist at both The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA and at the Parramatta Artist Studios in Sydney, Australia. He has been exhibited widely in both solo and group exhibitions internationally, including shows at Georg-Kolbe-Museum in Berlin, The International Center of Photography, The Warhol Museum, Gallery Elisa Platteau in Brussels, among many others. This year he will have a solo show at the Museo Nacional de San Carlos in Mexico. Brinkmann received his diploma and conducted advanced studies in Fine Arts at Hochschule für Bildende Künste Hamburg. Brinkmann is represented by Kunstagenten Gallery.