SOFTIES

„Softie“ is the personification of a characteristic that is normally applied to emotionally sensitive people. We tried to broaden our understanding of this term and established a connection to sensitivity by creating a contentwise and formally upholstered space that serves as a basis for the investigation of the attribute „soft“ and its effect. At the center of our work is the colored form as a universal element of visualization. The common starting point is assembling of different concrete surfaces, which are two- dimensional in the first step, but can become an object through the nature or behavior of their surface. We try to achieve this through different methods, which are a key element in our artistic process. Structure and coloring as a simulation of three-dimensionality can therefore be as expedient as the actual creation of plasticity through curvature and connections of fabrics. If one lends forms that are not supposed to represent anything but themselves a body, objects are created that remind one of pillows or pads in their shapelessness. As carriers of this consideration, they assume a mediating role between two- and three- dimensional space. Based on this, we develop various methods to investigate a juxtaposition of surface and plasticity under the aspect of softness. Pure color considerations are equally relevant, as is the retreat into the idyll as a fragile ideal. The aim of this approach is to develop a formal language that ideally provides for an interaction of different media in space. The protective but also isolating effect of upholstery seems to offer the ideal environment for softies.