Do you like stories? Most people do. We tell them to each other all the time. Those who are lucky can paint them. Those with imagination can create them in many different ways.
One of these storytellers is Andreas J. Botzian, a photographer and a creator of vivid mini-narratives about travel, space, climate change, friendship, and – life.
Andreas Botzian
Whimsical Hyperrealism
Botzian’s first attempts at art involved painting. He wished to become a hyperrealist, but his path led him away from the technique and right into the essence – the descriptive concept realized through studio photography. Over time, he experimented with digital cameras and lighting, staging, characters, and color to achieve a recognizable visual language and atmosphere.
Andreas Botzian
Witty, Colorful Genre Scenes
Photographs of Andreas J. Botzian represent peculiar scenes of still lives or imaginary landscapes, always shot under dramatic lighting and carefully arranged in the studio. He uses everyday objects, toys, photographic and other images and found materials to assemble the scene, paying close attention to the setting, especially the balance within. Abundant with color and painterly effects, they naturally draw attention while their subjects tease the viewer to guess the story. A more keen observer will notice references to surrealism or classical masters such as Caspar David Friedrich, Johann Heinrich Füssli, Edward Hopper, and Arnold Böcklin, but Botzian’s work also has another particular unique quality. It’s permeated with humor and wit and a playfulness rarely found in meticulous studies of the human condition.
Andreas Botzian
Andreas J. Botzian – The Chronicler of Our Today
Yes, Botzian is a serious artist. His works aren’t just visual banter. They examine human existence and experiences from a different, yet quite contemporary standpoint – using the small trinkets of our lives to tell the biggest story of all. There is a dose of self-irony in his work, especially in the series “Hyperirrealismus”, which refers to his initial artistic efforts while marking the present outcome.
Ultimately, Botzian’s photographs are fun to watch. Almost within the domain of curiosities, these fantastic narratives engage the observer by waking up their inner child and making them wonder – what matters today and to me?
Botzian at DAF Cologne 2025
The upcoming edition of the Discovery Art Fair in Cologne will feature works by Andreas J. Botzian. Collectors and art lovers will have the unique opportunity to see his striking photographs and meet the artist between 3 and 6 April 2025 at X Post.