Smiley V – The Memory of a Smile

When a symbol fades

The smiley is one of the best-known symbols of our time. With just a few lines it promises joy, optimism and light-heartedness. Its meaning seems unambiguous.

In Smiley V, however, this promise no longer feels self-evident. The face is still clearly recognizable, but its contours lose stability. The eyes run downward, layers of color overlap, and parts of the motif feel like a memory slowly fading away.

The smile remains, but its certainty begins to waver.

Schmiertafel – Familiar signs in transition

The Schmiertafel series deals with symbols that everyone knows. Flowers, trees, or smileys initially appear simple and easy to understand. Yet in the course of the painting process, shifts, uncertainties, and new meanings arise.

In Smiley V, this idea becomes particularly clear. The symbol still works, yet it appears vulnerable. The familiar message of good cheer and optimism is not destroyed, but slowly called into question.

The result is an image about the fragility of certainties and the changeability of seemingly fixed meanings.

White space, traces and transience

In contrast to the bright yellow smileys of the series, Smiley V appears more restrained and open. The light picture surface is almost reminiscent of an erased board or a sign that has already been reworked several times.

Traces of earlier decisions remain visible. Drops, overpainting, and transparent layers of color speak of a process that is not concealed. It is precisely this that gives the painting its particular depth.

Between optimism and melancholy

The smile remains. Yet the running eyes and open layers of paint give the work an unexpected ambivalence.

Smiley V moves between hope and uncertainty, between memory and the present. The familiar symbol becomes a projection surface for personal experiences and moods.

Original painting by Mark Hellbusch

Smiley V is a one-of-a-kind original from my studio in Wiesbaden. The work belongs to the Schmiertafel series and combines familiar pictorial signs with experimental oil painting and an open, process-based visual language.

You can find inspiration under

Smear board,

medium formats and

round paintings

I have been a freelance painter since 1997 and have worked with a wide variety of themes in painting. While until 2007 I was occupied almost exclusively with expressive painting, today my focus lies more on experimental art. My personal background, as well as almost all artistic themes can be found under “About us.”

Studio in Wiesbaden – viewings by appointment.

Direct purchase and shipping also available.