Welcome to my homepage. On the following page you will get an overview of my artistic vita and you can see a choice of my works of the years 2000 to 2024.

 

Atelier Donner

Mühltalweg 23
41844 Wegberg / Germany
mobil +49(0)1737360425
info@johannes-donner.de
www.johannes-donner.de

Second studio

Atelieretage im Alten Kloster Wegberg
Rathausplatz 6
41844 Wegberg / Germany

 

 JOHANNES DONNER

• born in Wegberg
• since 1976 freelance artist and photographer
• 1979-1992 photo journalist in Aachen, Aachener Nachrichten
• 1981 cooperation in the photographer’s association „Aachener Fotografen“
• since 1993 gallery owner and freelance artist in Wegberg
• since 1999 studio in Wegberg-Watern (own etching studio)
• 2001 and 2002 working at Kätelhöhn, studio for graphic reproduction in Soest/Wameln
• since 2009 member of BBK (Berufsverband Bildender Künstler)
• 2010-2024 working in Florenz, Perugia, Arezzo and Sinis/Sardenga – La Rogaia Italy; Le Coulet and Apt in France

Working focuses:

Painting in oil mix techniques, marble powder, lime putty, pigments, linseed oil, poppy-seed oil, inks and stains on canvas and wood; graphic works with different materials; etchings with one or more copper plates on hand-made paper; wooden objects with metal and bronze
Energy of the material:

The process of painting means to me: to let a picture emerge and enhance what develops from an impulse, triggered by a feeling, a perception and what expresses itself in structures, shapes and colors.

The actual tension is created by application of marble powder or lime putty/fresco which crack during the drying process. Fine and rough veins occur in the paintings, stress fields that load up explosively.

I addict myself to the painting process and follow the flow – applying and removing of pigments, oils, stains, waxes and inks creates deep rich shades of color and a perfect ensemble.

The art historian Stefan Skowron about the artist Johannes Donner

Art draws from experience.

Art draws from experience means nothing less than that nothing comes from somewhere in the arts, but that everything was already existing or was created or at least intended. And it is also a protection for us outsiders. Because if it is like that, we must not understand everything we see. Our encounter with the art may initially be shy. Because when we are shy, we may ask: why? And who asks, takes already the first step from seeing to understanding!

In view of the works of Johannes Donner, this preface should allay your fears to ask the artist for reasons. For example: Why do I find fewer forms than colour powers and fractional fields his pictures – actually picture objects?

„One must not work against the material,“ says Johannes Donner. Material, that are in his case especially marble powder and binder, pigments, oils, stains, ink and possibly sand, wax, lime putty. He assembles them.  Pure and as components. He layers. Puts them on each other, pastose, transparent. Sometimes thick as a body, sometimes so filmy, as if only a shadow falls on the square.

In this way, works emerge that I can hardly name pictures. For me they are picture objects. Because they present nothing, show nothing in the way that pictures usually present or show something. But because they exist: They have an own (their own) identity. They are not the picture of something. They are energy. They are a facade – even if only a detail. They are the monument, which we have in mind when we are standing in front of them! They are the cosmos of powerful pigment storms and lowering glistening clouds, wafting through the space. Nothing of what we see here is intended as a sign! The tension is not threatening, it is already existing.

These works are pieces of experience. So we should not use too inflationary terms as abstract or informal. Because I do not think that Johannes Donner’s picture objects are abstract in its causal nature. Realism actually appears in many different ways. How could we otherwise communicate emotions such as fear or courage, hope or disappointment, pleasure or failure? How, if you do not want to make a detour to a representative image (a face, a landscape, something like this), but rather want to make tension and relaxation directly tangible? How else than perhaps this way? In a cry, a jubilation, a loud groan from pure colour!? Colour that is not only superficially on a square, but builds up and reaches into the deepest depths.

Someone who choses feelings to his motif, like Johannes Donner does, who looks for the experience instead of presentation, cannot work with images. He begins, prepares his colours himself, and then lets the picture arise, lets himself invite and challenge by this picture during this time of application and removal of material. He reverts to experiences that the material taught him in innumerable pictures before. – And life anyway!

Art draws from experience.

Whoever tells you that he had understood at a glance – do not believe him. Because in the arts it’s like with the love. Even for the kind that appears at first sight, you need experience in order to prevent that it already ends on closer inspection.

Stefan Skowron – Translated by Petra Donner, August 2016

Single exhibitions:

• 1993 SPD Haus Aachen „Bromöldruck“
• 2001/02 Kätelhöhn studio for graphic reproduction, Soest
• 2003 Gallery Passepartout, Wegberg-Beeck
• 2004/2005/2006/2007/2008 open studio, Wegberg
• 2004 San Diego, sale of some etchings
• 2006 Haus Hohenbusch (Pro Arte) „Im Dreiklang“
• 2007 Tüschenbroicher Mühle, experiments with different materials, Wegberg
• 2008 Im Beraterhaus,  Spuren der Zeit, Wegberg
• 2009 V. Raguß, Vergänglichkeit, Wuppertal
• 2011 „Illusion und Realität“ Aukloster Monschau
• 2012  IDENTITÄTS (s) SCHICHTEN Eschweiler Kunstverein
• 2013 „Spannungsfelder“ municipal gallery Haus Basten, Geilenkirchen
• 2014 „Raguß“ Verluste, Wuppertal
• 2014 Gallery 3G, Sittard, Niederlande
• 2015 Nominated for the 14th international Syrlin Art Award  Stuttgart
• 2016 „Spannungsfelder“ Haus Spiess, Erkelenz
• 2017 Nominated for the Kitz Art Award 2017, Kitzbühel, Austria
• 2018 10 Years „Atelier Donner“, Wegberg, Germany
• 2019 „Zeichen der Zeit“ Kulturwerk Aachen, Germany
• 2020 Kunst mit Abstand, Atelier Donner, Wegberg
• 2021 Kunst mit Abstand 2, Atelier Donner, Wegberg
• 2022 Spuren der Zeit, Kultursaal Burg Brüggen
• 2023 „InBewegung“ Altes Rathaus Ratheim

Group exhibitions:

• 2002/03/04/05/06/08/09/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/22/23/24 „KunstTour HS“ Atelier Donner
• 2006  Gallery Freitag 18.30, Aachen
• 2007 „Kunstoffensive Wegberg“, Rathausplatz
• 2008/09/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17 „Kunstoffensive Wegberg“, Altes Kloster
• 2009  „Oxydation“, Interroll Baal
• 2009 „Elbart“ Alter Elbtunnel Hamburg
• 2010/11/12 EVBK yearly exhibition Prüm
• 2010 „Werkschau“, Hofwerkstatt in Essen
• 2011/12 Kunststroom Roerdalen, Niederlande
• 2011 Galerie TriVadha, St. Odilienberg, Niederlande
• 2010/ 2011/2012/2013 Kunstkaufhaus Siegburg
• 2011  Kunststroom Roerdalen, Niederlande
• 2011  Galerie TriVadha, St. Odilienberg, Niederlande
• 2012  GSE- Musebrink Art Croup, Essen
• 2012 24. Kunsttage Rhein-Erft, Abtei Brauweiler
• 2013 Begegnungs.ART, Gabriele Musebrink+ Johannes Donner, Essen
• 2013/14/15/16/17/18/19/21/22/23  IDENTITÄT (s) SCHICHTEN Haus Hohenbusch, Erkelenz
• 2014 Kunsttour Maastricht, Timmerfabriek, Niederlande
• 2014 26. Kunsttage Rhein-Erft, Abtei Brauweiler
• 2015 Exhibiton of finalists, 14th internationl Syrlin Art Award, Stuttgart
• 2015 XPO Kunzfetti MMXV Sittard, Niederlande
• 2016 „Kunsthappening“ Het Lemke, Elen/ Dilsen, Belgien
• 2016 XPO Kunzfetti Kessenich, Belgien
• 2016 28. Kunsttage Rhein-Erft, Abtei Brauweiler
• 2016 Kunstdagen Wittem Gulpen, Niederlande
• 2017 Art Nordic, Kopenhagen, Denmark
• 2017 Tage der Kunst, Waldniel/Schwalmtal
• 2017/2019/2020/2021/2022/2023 Kunst in der Fabrik, Bizz-Park, Oberbruch
• 2018 Atelier op Tafel, Museum Valkenburg, Niederlande
• 2018 Art Nordic, Kopenhagen, Denmark; Goldmedal, Best ForeignerArtist Art Nordic 2018
• 2018 30. Kunsttage Rhein-Erft, Abtei Brauweiler
• 2018  Schloß Zweibrüggen Bauer / Donner / in der Wiesche
• 2018/2019 Art Fair/ Nulllll, Amersfoort, Niederlande
• 2019 Art Nordic, Kopenhagen, Dänemark
• 2020 Art Arnhem, Eusebiuskerk, Niederlande
• 2021 Art Eindhoven, Klokgebouw 50, Niederlande
• 2021 Salon of Art, Grote Markt Brugge, Belgien
• 2022 Kunstweekend Kasteel Cartils, Wijlre, Niederlande
• 2023/24 Art Eindhoven, Klokgebouw 50, Niederlande
• 2024 36. Kunsttage Rhein-Erft, Abtei Brauweiler
• 2024 Kunststroom Roerdalen -Wassenberg, Niederlande, Deutschland