Composing Colourscapes with Moritz Moll
This season’s arranging guide covers feature vibrant artwork from Munich-based artist Moritz Moll. His work explores the beauty in the mundane, transient, and in-between spaces, capturing scenes from everyday life in expressive colourscapes- a perfect match for our colour theory theme.
We caught up with him about his path, process, and all things painting florals:
Tell us about your path to becoming an artist? How did you get started?
Like many other artists, I never stopped being creative after childhood. During high school, I took advanced art classes, and after graduation, I began studying visual communication. Right after finishing my degree, I started my art studies at the Academy in Munich while also working at a design agency. After graduating, I was very fortunate to be able to work with great galleries across Europe right away, and so I was able to turn my passion into my profession.
How did you develop your style? Are there any artists or movements that have influenced or inspired you?
Your style develops naturally as you keep working. It’s not something you consciously shape, but rather something that happens over time. Looking back, I see that my path has led me from very realistic painting to what I do today, and that some of the tools I used back then can still be found in my painting today. It’s a super exciting process in which you often let yourself drift and are surprised by where you end up. Along the way, of course, I’ve also explored the work of great painters who share a similar interest in form, material, and color as I do. Henri Matisse, Alex Katz, and Claire Tabouret are just a few names.
As an add-on to the above, your art is very vibrant and expressive - would you put yourself more in line with painting that expresses a certain feeling or mood rather than closely replicating real-life scenes?
The impact of my painting stems from a combination of my formal interest in colour combinations and the subjects I choose. At times, these two elements contrast with one another, adding an extra layer of depth to the works. In my floral paintings, I mainly enjoy composing colours and textures on the canvas, like a finger exercise. Bouquets are the perfect subject for this. The mood of the finished painting is something that appears in the process and something I can lean into as soon as I recognise it.
When you’re painting florals, what’s your approach there? Are you drawing inspiration from real-life arrangements in front of you or do you “arrange” your flowers on the canvas?
Most of the time my floral paintings are based on a bouquet that is right in front of me. I arrange the bouquets so that the flowers are positioned in a way that’s interesting for me to paint. Sometimes I buy more than one bouquet at the flower shop and end up swapping flowers between them. I also take a lot of time when it comes to choosing the flowers, which can make me a bit of an odd customer at times (:
Talk to us a bit about your process in general. How does everyday life inspire your paintings and how do you decide on palettes and composition?
My work in general explores the in-between spaces of everyday life. In recent years, through my work, I have created a small universe that exudes a nostalgic, unhurried energy and often revolves around themes such as coming of age or being in the moment. It gives you a sense of the passage of time and often focuses on moments of being unobserved, those fleeting moments in everyday life, and transience. Flowers, as symbols of the beauty of the present and transience, fit perfectly into this world.
We’re highlighting colour theory in our arrangements this season. Are there any particular insights from colour theory that you apply?
I can recommend Interaction of Color by Josef Albers! It gives great insights into the use of colour and especially into colour combinations.
And finally, tell us about any exciting projects or exhibitions you’ve got coming up.
I‘m excited to have the opportunity to show my work at Art Cologne Palma Mallorca this year with a66 Gallery. I will also show some works on paper including a new floral edition at Paper Positions Berlin with Galerie Biesenbach at the end of April.
I‘m also looking forward to my solo exhibition at Galerie Biesenbach in Cologne at the start of next year.
To keep up to date with Moritz Moll’s work, explore his website or stay in touch via instagram (@moritz.moll).
