Maximilian Prüfer: Nebenlinien - 15 Jahre Naturantypie

The works of Maximilian Prüfer (b.1986, Weilheim) reveal a radical and deeply poetic engagement with nature. Neither representative nor romantically idealised, Prüfer’s approach, a longstanding and ongoing investigation, is an experimental exploration of nature’s processes. His work intersects the disciplines of art, science and philosophy, focusing on the question of how natural processes and movements can be translated into lasting, aesthetic forms - beyond human intervention.

Prüfer developed his characteristic method, which he calls Naturantypie (nature typography), early on, and it forms an essential pillar of his artistic practice. He does not use classic painting or drawing utensils such as brushes or pens, but has refined his technique over the past fifteen years to such an extent that he is able to make the most ephemeral natural phenomena visible on canvas or paper. The forms are not drawn by Prüfer himself, but rather emerge through the movements of insects or raindrops, which act as collaborators in the creative process. Everything surrounding the individual work is meticulously prepared so that the wing beats of moths or the footprints of ants or even mites can be traced onto it. In the course of refining his natural typography, Prüfer has gained so many insights and lessons from working with these creatures that he is now able to artistically contain chance. And yet each of his works remains an experiment in which Prüfer withdraws from the process at a certain point and relinquishes control, thereby staging the fragile balance between artistic intention and autonomous natural processes. The result is works that are reminiscent of maps, starry skies, and microscopic structures.

Nature is not depicted mimetically, nor does it serve as a starting point for conceptual abstraction; rather, Prüfer traces the multiple processes of becoming and passing away in nature. A system of permanent movement emerges in his works, a delicate network of forces in which humans are ultimately also involved. The experimental character of his work -the constant testing of new materials, situations, and environments - points to an artistic mindset that closely links scientific research, precise observation and aesthetic sensibility. At a time when nature often appears only as a resource or backdrop, Prüfer's approach reminds us of its autonomy without resorting to romantic gestures of awe and wonder. They are silent testimonies to a world that continues without us. 

Prüfer shows that experimentation is not just a method, but an attitude and open, sensitive relationship with highly complex reality, characterised by deep connection and appreciation. His art is a dialogue with nature, in which listening is more important than speaking, and observing is more significant than intervening.

- Text by Judith Csiki, translated by Galerie Kandlhofer