Neon Hues and Narrative Titles

The significant use of large formats in their work emerged during the pandemic lockdown period. Carli has been developing their self-portraiture for more than a decade.

How has the topic of self-portraiture developed in your work?
I’ve been drawing my entire life, but I started out with this comic character of myself when I was a teenager. It has been developing ever since. It is happening alongside my growing up, getting older, and getting to know myself. It also evolves a lot around gender identity and queerness.

How are you building your color palette?
I usually work very intuitively; I like the coincidence. Especially with big formats, I like working with neon colors and the glow of the image. I would neon the shadows to create unusual senses of lighting. Using neon colors is also quite fun because they are asking for a lot of attention.

When are titles for your paintings born?
I give titles to the paintings after they’ve been finished for a while already. By then, I’ve gained some distance from the piece, which might allow me to find another angle to the work by adding text.

Are there some major differences in your process of working on small and large-scale canvases?
With large formats, I usually make a very rough sketch just for the layout of the image. The basic layers happen quite fast. Working on the details and creating the mood I am aiming for takes most of the time. For large works, I usually work with acrylics and oil pastels. Acrylics dry pretty quickly, which allows for a faster pace of work. In small formats, I work with oil, so this is a much slower process from the start. The details are much more compressed and in focus, and I like to give a lot of attention. I also like to put them aside for a while and revisit them later, so they develop over a longer period. Your works are very easy to notice and remember, with a very clear and significant style.

How important is that to you, and are you open to changing it in the future?
My work mirrors my emotional situation at the moment, so the self-portrait theme is working well for me. My style changes gradually—the colors change, the way the backgrounds work changes, and the character changes. Even though the overall topic is quite continuous, I can imagine my style moving away from these distinct figures to something more abstract. I think that there is a liberating moment in opening myself up to other approaches to painting. But it’s a central part of my work for it to be recognizable, so I don’t want to force changes on myself. Being emotionally and intuitively close to the physical action of painting is very important to me personally, as well as for my work to incorporate the mood I want to transport.

I remember the heart painting from the show in the exhibit studio at the academy! I would love to hear more about it.
I always work with humor; it’s central to my expression in all aspects of my life. I want to have fun when working, and I want people to have fun when looking at my work. There are a lot of heavy feelings going into my paintings, and I like to find ways to break the seriousness. I can’t talk about the actual meaning of my works. A lot of the time, I couldn’t put them in words anyway, and I am also interested in creating tension by being very vulnerable while at the same time keeping distance by leaving a lot of things open.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Snoozing my alarm for two hours.

Any recommendations for a good comic?
One of the best comics I’ve read is “Stone Fruit” by Lee Lai. It explores queer relationships, drama, life, and depression. Also, of course, “Dykes to watch out for” by Alison Bechdel, an absolute classic and all-time favorite!

What films are capturing your attention lately?
Currently, I’m indulging in watching ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Gilmore Girls’ (hahahaha)

Carli Fridolin Biller – www.instagram.com/fffridolin_/

Note: This text is part of our WallArt Journal #1, which we specially produced for the Hybrid Art Fair 2024 in Madrid. You can find copies around Vienna, or if you want to have one, feel free to contact us.

Les Nouveaux Riches, in collaboration with PARALLEL VIENNA and with the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Madrid, presents a group exhibition featuring four artists at the Hybrid Art Fair 2024 in Madrid: Alessandro Albrecht, Carli Fridolin Biller, Felix Schwentner, and Nina McNab.