‘In his line drawings of ornamental character which often include a lot of text, Armin Pangerl deals with messages and memories. Their function as part of his ongoing diary project is more important to him than their quality as single art works. Nevertheless, some of them stand out due to their original compositions.’
Thomas Roeske
Director
Prinzhorn Collection,
Heidelberg, Germany
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My first memory goes back to kindergarten. I was drawing, and the subject was ” Belief “. So I drew crosses and a sad looking Jesus, on a large black cross.
Today I’m no believer any more. I’ve seen too many good and bad times during my life.
The first day in school I drew my brother without hands. So the teachers decided, this boy was not ready for school, and sent me back to the kindergarten, for one more year.
I was always late. I needed more time doing things, much more than other people.
As a teenager, I loved construction zones, because I liked to draw on the liquid concrete. And left my signs there. I also left my name on walls. That made me feel happy.
My father often beat me up for that, but it was no matter to me. I did it again and again.
In the art class at school, was my hobby, to look in my teachers dress neck, to take a look at her breasts. My work was rather bad.
Years later in a hospital I discovered my skill of painting and drawing, My first work was on a 15 metre corridor. The walls took me 4 weeks to complete.
I was really busy and sold my works to the nurses and doctors. From the earned money I bought my first drawing kit and materials.So it became more and more.
30 years later I came in contact with the Prinzhorn Collection at Heidelberg. We were there for an exhibition and I fell in love with the Collection. I introduced myself to Thomas Röske, the now, curator of the Prinzhorn Collection.
My skill improved through out the years and changed my view on what is nice and ugly. I’m pleased by the work with psychiatric patients and other artists. It stills the hunger of my soul. My pictures, books, lyrics are the mirror of my mind. Beside my cancer and psychotic attacks, it excites me to make my writing and formulas. No therapies can replace my relief of what I’m feeling when I draw or write. It changed during the last 30 years. I take photos of my writings, sketches and words, and collect them in note books and other digital files.
Numerous publications since 2018 chart my development over the years. It doesn’t bother me at all, what others think about my work, if they find it good or not. I want to be authentic, and want to write and draw what I like and think.
Armin Andreas Pangerl 2020
Translated from the German
Collections:
Collection Dammann.
Museum im Lagerhaus (St. Gallen CH)
Willy Brandt Haus Collection, Berlin