Ruedi Eichenberger is a Swiss abstract surrealist painter whose atmospheric landscapes straddle the boundaries of the symbolism and the abstract.
Artist Statement
Wallpaper patterns, plasterwork or just doodles have always animated my fantasies. I’ve recognized paintings in them and lost myself in the surreal world. Back in my childhood, those were the first contacts with surrealism.
When I was going to school, I used to draw doodles and sketches into my school books. It often started with a simple line that got embellished, shaded and like that everything found its place. One after another.
Letting things create themselves is an important step in my working. I start working without any plans, I let it arise. I don’t work with deadlines, the painting is finished when everything is its right place and I’m satisfied with the painting. I often only realize what it represents when I’m finished.
My goal is to represent the tremendous expressiveness of nature through my paintings. The power and strength of the wind, the dryness of the ground and even the humid air before a thunderstorm. In my eyes, nature is the mightiest of all artworks.
That’s when I combine nature with opposing motives. Surreal elements arise and join in.
First, the canvas is worked on with acrylic followed by multiple layers of oil paint. I mix the surreal and abstract with the intent to create an atmosphere.
I see my paintings as a window, through which you can glimpse another world.
