April 2002
John Heidersbach
Cedar Falls, Iowa
(319) 277-6532
johnbach@cfu.net
The paintings in my "Döppelganger" series operate on two levels. On one level, they are fairly realistic portrayals of people and familiar objects, placed together in a context that is a bit unusual. On another level, they include intellectual and psychological commentary on the vagaries of modern life. This intellectual and psychological content is, to me, far more important than the image depicted and the artistic language used in each painting. My intent is to raise the viewer’s awareness of a specific aspect of life and living, and make them think about those things in the context of their own lives.
If I am successful at this, we both win.
The psychological commentary in each of these paintings relies heavily on symbolism. Each figure, for example, carries a "döppelganger," or "psychological twin" strapped to his/her back. This symbolizes the psychological baggage that each of us carries with us throughout life, is what gives the series its name. Many other symbols are used in these works, and each painting is typically shown with a placard that explains the symbols and my intent in creating the image. Those who have seen my work thus displayed have always commented that the commentary adds tremendous insight and depth to each work.
All of these works were painted with Liquitex acrylic paints, on primed canvas, and varnished with a Liquitex matte varnish. The backgrounds were painted using everything from house painting brushes to sponges, but each figure was done following a more academic procedure.Once each color/value area was blocked in, I began working more "in the wet," working with a variety of brushes and with a spray bottle of water always nearby. I paint pretty "thin," and seldom mix the paint with any extender or medium, preferring to mix colors right out of the tube and adding only water when needed for glazing one color over another..
