Biography
About two heroes,
bringing a piece of heaven to earth.
THEIR ORIGIN AND CHILDHOOD
Aaron Vinn comes from Cologne. In his childhood he always dreamt the same dream: he wants to fly, to leave everything behind, to be free. This urge for freedom manifested itself in an unconstrained creativity and so already as a teenager he tailored his own clothes, created various accessories, built strange objects and lamps. He liked to create things that were different from what he knew.
Iven Orx grew up in Gdansk. As an altar server, he spent almost every day in church. He was fascinated by the magnificent paintings, the opulent sculptures of saints and the venerable vestments. He liked to break out of the grey everyday life and immerse himself in this perfect, almost paradisiacal world full of pomp and gold. As a teenager, he fled to Germany with his mother to escape the communist regime.
THE CALL OF DETERMINATION
In 2006, Iven Orx and Aaron Vinn met in Cologne. They shared the same longing: to find fulfilment and joy in life.
They quickly realized that their life stories and viewpoints were very similar. They felt they had known each other forever, more than that, they believed they were soul brothers. This was the beginning of a real and deep friendship. And so it happened that within a few days, they moved into a shared flat in Cologne.
Both were desperately looking for a challenging task in their lives and the right place in this world. They worked here and there to be able too keep theirselves afloat. However, on a foggy January morning, something strange happens. Both of them are without jobs and income at that time. In this hopeless situation, they both recall their respective childhoods, much like in a dream, and they surprisingly realized that both of their fathers painted. They both painted pictures, mostly landscapes. A strange thought came over them, ” How would it be to paint ourselves?” They felt very strongly drawn to this vision, more strongly than they had ever felt before in either of their lives. Iven Orx and Aaron Vinn were torn, but they could not deny the strong inner desire and so they decided to become artists.
THE BEGINNING
They wanted to get started right away, so they bought paints, brushes and canvases that same evening, using all their savings. They started painting and it was great fun!
The first abstract paintings were created. Everyone who looked at them recognised another world in them, they aroused emotions and gave people pleasure. The works were loved right away and were gladly bought. Within a very short time, they moved into a real large studio in Cologne, where they created their works of art from then on.
Everything went wonderfully. But after two years a serious problem occurred. Because of the world economic crisis, they abruptly sold almost no more paintings. Their existence as artists was at stake and they could now suddenly lose everything. They had no money left to pay the rent and it even got to the point where they couldn’t even buy themselves something to eat. Despite the serious situation, they were sure that the path as artists was the right one. They remained steadfast. Fortunately, an unexpected encounter occurs.
THE ART AVANT-GARDE
In 2008, Iven Orx and Aaron Vinn met the artist Mary Bauermeister. She is one of the most important Dada artists and is considered the mother of “pre-fluxus”, through her strong involvement in the avant-garde of the 1960s. She was married to the famous composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Together with the world-renowned artists John Cage, Nam June Paik, Ben Patterson, Georg Brecht and Christo, all of whom are still her closest friends, she paved the way for modernism in her studio in the Lintgasse in Cologne. Her development as an artist was also influenced by meetings with her friends Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and other Pop Art legends.
The often overlooked proximity to Arte Povera, with earthy materials as well as tachist elements, runs through her entire life’s work. Likewise, the mathematical implementation of the Fibonacci sequence and the golden section can be seen in almost all of her artworks. From the beginning, her ambition was, as she says herself, “…to stretch the jacket of art”. Through her lens boxes, crystal stelae, stone towers and mandalas, she aims to redefine the approach to seeing the world and expand our understanding of what surrounds us. Her artworks can be found in the world’s most important museums, such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – New York, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – New York, Whitney Museum of American Art – New York, the Staatliches Museum Schwerin as well as the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.
Almost every day of their time together, they greeted the day together, ate at the same table and did not go home until late at night. During their three years together, she told them everything about the avant-garde era of the 1960s, her secrets of success from her time in New York and her world-famous friends from her studio in Lintgasse. They learned a lot about her great love Karl-Heinz Stockhausen and about the time with her children. She also told them about her own childhood, how she fared as a war child, about her beginnings as a young artist and her spiritual view of the world. Along the way, she taught Iven Orx and Aaron Vinn about geomancy, colour theory and the universe.
Together with Mary Baumeister, Iven Orx & Aaron Vinn created many new works of art and restored old ones. They prepared countless exhibitions with her and met many interesting personalities, gallery owners and artists. They visited museums together, met her famous friend and art expert Dr. Wibke von Bonin and her enchanting gallery owner Christel Schüppenhauer (Cologne), with whom they jointly arranged the vernissage “A Day in New York – Work in Progress”.
She was and remains a mentor, friend and their heart’s love. They are indebted to her for All Time Creation. Grateful for her big heart, affection and love with which she embraced, enriched and gifted them boundlessly and without reservation.
THE TIME OF REBELLION
Through their friendship with Mary Bauermeister, Iven Orx and Aaron Vinn gained a new perspective on art. From then on, the desire to create works that defy the usual conventions and chart new paths burned within them.
With the knowledge they had gained, they now felt the world had changed completely. The art in museums and galleries, now seemed to them mostly sad, often grey and full of sorrowful themes.
“THE ART SCHOLARS AND CRITICS WITH THEIR TREATISES: ‘WHAT IS ART AND WHAT IS NOT’ ARE KILLING ART. PEOPLE ARE BEING INCAPACITATED. EACH OF US CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT ART IS AND WHAT GIVES THEM ENJOYMENT – ONLY THAT COUNTS!”
“TODAY’S ART IS LIKE THE NEWS: SERIOUS, STIFF AND BORING. MODERN ART NEEDS: AMUSEMENT, ACTION AND WONDER. AND THAT’S EXACTLY HOW OUR WORKS SHOULD BE!”
ON BEHALF OF THE GODS
One day something happened that changed Iven Orx’s & Aaron Vinn’s lives forever. While they were in their Cologne studio in the Spinnmühlengasse, they suddenly perceived a supernatural voice, it spoke to them:
You are the divine guys and you make divine art
Your mission is:
Bring a piece of heaven to earth.
You are the divine guys and you make divine art
Your mission is:
Bring a piece of heaven to earth.
After this revelation, there was only one goal: To fulfill the divine mission. Iven Orx & Aaron Vinn live for their art and they dedicate their lives to all who want to break out of their everyday life and experience something different, something poignant
In their Cologne studio in the Spinnmühlengasse, they still create paintings, light objects, installations, sculptures, photographs, art films and develop their own styles and fashion designs. In doing so, they turn the supposed “art logic” and clichés on their heads. For them, everything is possible that seems unimaginable. They work hard every day at their task and fight for more pleasure and joy in the lives of all of us.
In their Cologne studio in the Spinnmühlengasse, they still create paintings, light objects, installations, sculptures, photographs, art films and develop their own styles and fashion designs. In doing so, they turn the supposed “art logic” and clichés on their heads. For them, everything is possible that seems unimaginable. They work hard every day at their task and fight for more pleasure and joy in the lives of all of us.