Alfred Neumayr: Mythical Creatures

Neumayr was born in Tulln (Lower Austria) in 1958. He works primarily with India ink or pencil—which he applies and scratches out, thins down or mixes. His modus operandi is reminiscent of surrealist automatism: starting at a random point and letting his hand glide without restraint until the innumerable lines reveal a theme that he then elaborates on. The resulting images resemble geographical formations, photos from outer space, fantasy worlds or mythical creatures. Minute details appear as figures or faces; the various thicknesses of his pen strokes and the rhythmic structures into which they are linked make his pictures come alive. Neumayr’s diffuse representations leave ample room for association and interpretation: waves seen from a bird’s eye perspective, animal hoards or battle scenes may reveal themselves to the viewer.