Thomas Haneman
Untitled (integumentum), 2020
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches

(unframed)

One might be surprised to learn that artist Thomas Haneman listens to Death Metal when he paints his imaginary floral compositions. These lyrical paintings feel symphonic - full of trills and flute solos rather than weighty guitar distortion. And yet there is triumphal power, a kind of breaking through, a fierce determined beauty in these vines and flowers that often turn away from the viewer toward some unseen source of light and strength.

There is indeed a miraculous component to this work: Haneman started making these paintings in 2016, after finally receiving effective treatment for debilitating, chronic depression. Completely unlike the paintings he was making in art school at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, these compositions seemed to follow the rebirth of his neural synapses. He speaks of the work as if it is a direct outcome or visualization of his mental healing.

The paintings, called "Floating Flowers," vary immensely in color and form, suggesting different states of growth and joy, combined with the hidden strangeness of the body's interior realms. They are like secret gardens that grow and bloom in remote places, untouched by humans. Haneman's plants appear to mutate and evolve on the canvas, sometimes emitting bubbles and froth, other times weighted by robust strands of berries.
The work harkens to 17th century Dutch still life painting, 18th century botanical illustrations, and the invented landscapes of Surrealism.

Thomas Haneman lives in Sheboygan, WiI He attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design from 1979 to 1985. He completed his art degree at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in 2011. His work is in the corporate collection of Acuity Insurance and in many private collections.