A few details:
- Linocut print
- Size: 30 x 30 cm
- February 2024
The linocut “Ares” explores war as an inner state—a mental and emotional driving force arising from thoughts, desires, and convictions. At its center is a human head, dissected and revealed, its innermost being exposed: the brain as a battlefield. Inscribed in bold red is a single word—depending on the variation, “Greed” or “Drives”. These terms represent the mental triggers of violence, the ideas that transform into blood and action.
The title “Ares” alludes to the Greek god of war, but IRRLÆUFER does not place the action on a mythical battlefield, but rather within the human mind itself. Here, war does not begin with weapons, but with impulses, with destructive thought processes that mature within.
The work forms the centerpiece of a trilogy, flanked by the two anatomical illustrations “Phobos” and “Deimos“—the sons of Ares and embodiments of fear and terror. Together, they present a psychological panorama of war: cause, effect, and aftermath.
Through the combination of precise linocut printing and vibrant color, a powerful, almost iconic visual language emerges. “Ares” is a study of thought in a state of emergency—of the moment when the mind itself becomes a weapon.
