Albert Oehlen (geb. 1954 in Krefeld) studierte an der Hochschule für Bildende Kunst in Hamburg und ist seit 2000 Professor an der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Albert Oehlen lebt und arbeitet in Köln, La Palma, Spanien und in der Schweiz.

Jonathan Meese (geb. 1970 in Tokyo) studierte an der Hochschule für Bildende Kunst in Hamburg. Er lebt und arbeitet in Berlin.

Jonathan Meese and Albert Oehlen know each other since 1999.

The idea of an artistic collaboration had already surfaced when they first met and began to materialize, for the first time, in 2001 in Albert Oehlen’s studio in Cologne. Within one week several paper collages, painted photographs and abstract images developed. Some of these works were completed in the months which followed.

The photographic material – mostly photographic enlargements – was provided by Albert Oehlen and derived from his father’s family album. Furthermore, Albert Oehlen contributed digital collages manipulated on the computer which he had printed by inkjetprocedure onto canvas or laminated on wood. These were later painted by both artists.

In the spring of 2002, Jonathan Meese created 20 canvases of 100 x 100 cm size and painted the same portrait on each – a portrait of a cross-breed between a cowboy and a governess based on a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. These canvases were then sent to Albert Oehlen who completed them.

In the summer 2003, Jonathan Meese met with Albert Oehlen once more, this time in his studio in Gais, Switzerland. Again 10 large works of 208 x 280 cm size were painted by both artists on digital photo-collages provided by Albert Oehlen.

In 2004 a new cycle of works began for which Albert Oehlen again provided digital photo-collages which Jonathan Meese reworked one by one with brush and oil paint in his Berlin studio.

In the summer of 2004 Jonathan Meese’s gallery Contemporary Fine Arts and Albert Oehlen’s galerist Max Hetzler in Berlin exhibited selections of the collaborative works of both artists under the title Spezialbilder (Special Images).