Born 1970 in Vienna, Austria, Marco Riha started his long creative journey in Sri Lanka in the mid-nineties. After painting and travelling for some years, he found his creative home base in Mexico. André Breton describes Surrealism as ‘psychic automatism in its pure state’. For decades Riha has been experimenting with this automatic painting technique, unaware of being a modern-day surrealist.
Since when do you paint and what are your favorite motives?
I painted my first oil painting in 1992, but it was not until 1995 when I had some serious time exploring my inner artist. Being an Automatist, one could say that 'inner motives' are my favorite.
When you create a new work, how do you proceed? What comes first?
First comes the fascination with the blank canvas. My favorite method involves putting one's reason aside and letting the subconscious take over the artistic process. I pour color on a canvas and see what I find, which I then bring to the forefront.
From what do you get your motivation?
I get motivated by the world around me. 2021 turned out to be one of my most productive years, certainly a reaction to the dreary previous year.
Your life without art would be...
...empty.
What's the best art venue in your city right now?
Las Galerias & Artezissimo
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