Even as a child, Dominic Hartmann was interested in all things beautiful. However, life took him in a different direction, away from an artistic career. In 2004 he entered mental health treatment for depression. In 2006 he was diagnosed with autism and social phobia. After an initial attempt and stepping into the public eye in 2005, he has withdrawn from the public eye and kept his artwork secret. Out of frustration, he destroyed the photo-realistic works shown at the 2005 exhibition. After that, he showed his paintings only to the closest family circle, often destroying them in search of something unknown.

Hartmann has been presenting his works to a larger circle of acquaintances since 2019. With the sale of various works, his self-confidence and readiness for further opening steps grew. In 2022, his artistic career will officially begin with the first solo exhibition in the Glarner art gallery Antonio Wehrli Art Space and with setting up his studio in Linthal.

He will need phases of complete isolation again and again in the future.

The pictures in the “Power of Nature” exhibition are not photo-realistic, but show a figurative expressionism. In the words of Dominic Hartmann, this style came about as follows:

“Frustrated with trying to paint a leaf on the canvas – what an ugly structure devoid of life and dynamic appeared before me – I succumbed to anger and sadness at the same time. How clumsy the attempt and ridiculous. In my anger, I snatched a bunch of leaves from my houseplant, which I was going to use as a template, dragged them through the paint and banged them against the canvas.

How wonderful the result!

Forfeited and happy, amazed at what I saw, this vibrancy, this perfection, this power that emanated from the resulting pattern, as if it were floating and growing out of the canvas. I quickly went out and found all sorts of materials, which I then helped dance across the sheet.”