Christoph Niemann

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Art Colossal

Interview: Christoph Niemann On Wit, Distilling an Idea, and How the Internet Has Made Us Better Readers

“Turning The Table” (2022), from the book ‘Idea Diary.’ All images © Christoph Niemann, shared with permission

The act of drawing, of envisioning an idea and conveying it visually, produces the same feelings in Christoph Niemann as it did when he was a child. A wildly successful artist, author, and animator with a keen wit, Niemann reiterates in a new interview that “there is no trick” to making the creative process easier.

It’s actually kind of comforting that the reality of drawing is that there’s no secret. Most artists have doubt. I’ve always wondered: is there a secret? Is there something I don’t know? Is there a trick that people have to make less difficult? From what I’ve found, there isn’t! What I’m doing today is exactly the same thing, with different tools, with different input, but exactly the same thing that I was doing when I was 12.

In this conversation, Niemann discusses his practice and process, how he consumes news and culture, and how his openness when experiencing a new city or space has changed since the pandemic began. The conversation veers from poetry, distillation, and the purpose of art to the downsides of pitching and finally, to his profound and enduring love for the humble act of putting ink on paper.

Read the interview.

“Sunday Sketch (Tangerine)” (2014), digital

Illustration

Quirky Illustrations by Christoph Niemann Reinterpret Household Objects in Clever Contexts

All images © Christoph Niemann, shared with permission

For Christoph Niemann (previously), all it takes is a halved apple or pliers lying around his studio to spur a quirky drawing featuring the random object. The illustrator is known for his Sunday Sketches, a weekly drawing series, that play with scale and position. Imbued with humor, the cleverly arranged compositions turn a red pencil into a megaphone or a splayed book into a cat’s whiskers.

Although Niemann usually lives in New York for part of the year, he’s been working from his studio in Berlin since the onset of the pandemic. “I’m spending a lot of time just drawing—cityscapes, animals I saw at the zoo (one of the few places that are still open to visit), and turning these drawings into silkscreens and linocuts,” he tells Colossal.

Prior to lockdown, he was visiting cities like London and Tallin creating visual essays, and although he misses travel, he’s enjoyed the increased focus and routine of recent months. “Since March last year, I’ve been at my drawing desk almost every single day. The things I do depend on input and inspiration. But craft, attention to detail, and routine are hugely important, as well. These latter aspects benefit a lot from having such a plain and steady schedule,” he says.

Niemann’s recent projects include a vibrant cover for The New Yorker and his newly released book, Pianoforte, which speaks to his experience learning to play the piano as an adult. You can pick up a copy, which is an extension of this interactive feature that ran in The New York Times Magazine a few months ago, in Niemann’s shop, where he also sells originals, prints, and some of his other books. Follow his Sunday Sketches and other illustrations on Instagram,

Illustration Music

Become a Piano Savant with This Clever Guide to Classic Tunes by Christoph Niemann

“How to Please Elise” (2020), 16.5 x 11.8 inches, letterpress print on Gmund Colors Matt 21, 200g/m2. All images © Christoph Niemann

Your days of expensive piano lessons are over. Master the foreboding notes in Jaws, a nursery rhyme often repeated by kids, and of course,”Für Elise,” with this straightforward diagram from Christoph Niemann (previously). In his riff on Beethoven’s classic,  “How to Please Elise” provides simple instructions on how to play the first 51 notes of the German composer’s masterpiece with ease through a diagrammed sequence similar to an old-school instructional dance chart. Niemann even said on Instagram that the notes are fact-checked and accurate, so anyone attempting to follow his directions should produce the widely recognized tunes. If you want to add one these signed prints to your collection, though, you should hurry: Niemann only printed 100.

Illustration

‘Joy of Reading’: A New Book of Illustrations by Christoph Niemann Promotes Free Press

Illustrator Christoph Niemann (previously) has released The Paper, a book celebrating what he calls “the joy of reading magazines and newspapers.” The wordless book totals 194 pages and features pink, black, and white illustrations that depict people engrossed in magazines and newspapers. One couple lays with a large piece of newsprint covering them like a blanket, while another image depicts numerous hands and arms coming from all directions to grab and hold on to pages. Niemann says his intent for the book was to highlight the problems surrounding attacks on the media and press freedoms.

The world is facing countless pressing issues. I don’t know how to solve them, but I’m convinced that in order to find out, we need a press that can ask the relevant questions, without fear of threats, persecution and violence. We need to protect reporters who take risks to shine light into the darkest corners of the world and to bring us the truth about sensitive subjects involving our health, our safety and our geopolitical environment.

All of the proceeds from The Paper will go to Reporters Without Borders, an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the freedom of information. The book, which is published by Abstractometer Press and features design by Ariane Spanier, is available for purchase on Niemann’s site. Find more of Niemann’s illustrations that are at the crossroads of humor and activism on Instagram.

Illustration

Clever Sketches by Christoph Niemann Turn Everyday Scenes into Humorous Moments

Illustrator Christoph Niemann (previously) plays with scale and context to create small scenes using ink and everyday materials. In his object-focused works, a few deft brushstrokes turn a pair of socks into the head and torso of a dinosaur, and a pressed paintbrush flares into a dancer’s swinging skirt. Other sketches are based on photographs, usually of the streets of New York City where the artist lives. For the past few years, he has shared these illustrations each Sunday via Instagram. Niemann also sells prints of his series of Sunday Sketches, along with original drawings, in his online store. He has also published a book, Sunday Sketching.

Intro sequence to “Abstract”. I drew this on the car window while driving with the film crew from the New Yorker offices to the Flatiron Building and then just hit “record”.

A post shared by Christoph Niemann (@abstractsunday) on Mar 2, 2017 at 6:29am PST

Illustration

Illustrator Christoph Niemann’s Quirky Visual Experiments Shared on Instagram Every Sunday

New York-based artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann sees the world a little differently. You might recognize his covers for the The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, or perhaps one of his Google Doodles or even his I LEGO N.Y. project. As part of his creative practice Niemann sets time aside every Sunday to experiment with different visual concepts, much of which he shares on his Instagram account. Niemann also has a solo show at MAK in Vienna opening later this summer.