Hochofen der Gefühle

Wayne Horse, real name Willehad Eilers, who grew up immersed in skateboarding and graffiti culture, refined his drawing skills at institutions including the renowned Dutch Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten. When working in his Amsterdam studio, he deliberately embraces a loss of control.

Methodologically, this occurs through the intoxicating consumption of absinthe or painting blindfolded; content-wise, it is expressed through his often grotesque and crude party scenes, which carry a heavy dose of social criticism as well as echoes of the "dancing on the volcano" atmosphere of 1920s Berlin - a nod to Otto Dix and George Grosz.

Eilers’ approach imparts a sense of vitality to his works that is otherwise difficult to achieve. The fact that facial features slip here and there and a hand might not stay precisely where it belongs certainly enhances a ballroom scene.

On the facade at the entrance to the Handwerkergasse at the Völklingen Ironworks (Völklinger Hütte), the artist approaches the mural format with the gesture of a large-scale drawing in black on red - using free strokes and graphically effective placement of shapes. According to Eilers, "Hochofen der Gefühle" (Blast Furnace of Emotions) depicts an extravagant "fine party" of industrial tycoons in a place historically close to a "rugged working-class environment."