
Editor: Désirée Molyneux
Photographer: Peter Kallwitz
Photographer’s Assistant: Anna Maria Komorowska
Location: Gallery of the dream catchers / Prince Leopold
www.norbertthen.de
A constantly changing, expressive figure made of steel with clear lines and contours – that is the “dream catcher” of the well-known German sculptor Norbert Then. The artist opened another large exhibition in Berlin from January 2022. His fans can already see a selection of his works in the Berlin Hilton – Capital Club – admire. Also from June 16th to July 16th 2022 he exhibited at the Baltic Sea Coast in the spa town of Zingst, Germany.
“The enthusiasm for art stems from my childhood. I grew up in a small, romantic village in Franconia, in which there was a chapel, cathedral, ruin or old” robber baron “castle on every mountain. They fascinated and inspired me from an early age.” This is how the seasoned artist explains his path to art.
During his time in the development service in Africa, he discovered the African form – the lost form. “That was the reason that I started to express myself in sculpture,” he said. From his initial figure with a burlap sack, the current form of the dream catcher gradually developed. “First the arms are down, and then I pull the arms up and gradually refine the shape. I’ve been working on this for 20 years and have developed around 100 different figures,” he explained, moving his arms expressively as if actually creating a master-piece right there and then.
With the dream catcher, Norbert Then tries to depict the wide range of human feelings and fantasies: love, hope, joy, sadness. The entire range of life is the subject of his long-term work. He continued, “I work as a painter and sculptor. During the work process in my studio, I create a very special sound and light atmosphere. It enriches and influences my work from the start and has become a concept.” So the artist.
Using light and shadow, he brings sculpture and image together to form a symbiosis. The viewer opens up his own worlds. As a backdrop, he uses special rooms such as old industrial plants, natural gardens and parks as well as the sacred space. In them the artist tries to incorporate characteristics of nature and architecture and their atmosphere into his work. He welcomes youthful energy to his creations. “I love the work of children, they are free and imaginative. Like them, I play with form, light, sound and space.”