Max Gömann

June 27 – July 19

Friday and Saturday: 17:00 – 20:00

BRUNG Gallery
Leonhardtstr. 11
14057 Berlin

Monkey Wrench by Max Gömann

My time in the United States was formative. Above all, the endless expanses of deserts, tundras, and mountains stretching from Utah and Arizona to Nevada left a lasting impression on me. During this journey, I came across a book that became the key inspiration for my new series of works titled "Monkey Wrench." 

The Monkey Wrench Gang is a novel by American author Edward Abbey, first published in 1975. It’s considered a classic of environmental literature and has inspired generations of environmentalists and activists. The book tells the story of a group of eco-activists rebelling against the destruction of wilderness in the American Southwest. 

The four unlikely protagonists — Vietnam veteran George Hayduke, idealistic doctor Doc Sarvis, feminist Bonnie Abbzug, and spiritual river guide Seldom Seen Smith — join forces to sabotage major projects such as dam constructions, roads, and mines. Their actions range from humorous trickery to dangerous violence, bringing them into conflict with the authorities and testing their own morals and group dynamics. 

The novel explores the struggle between untouched nature and industrial destruction, raising questions about the ethical limits of civil disobedience. It is a passionate plea for environmental protection, contrasting the wild beauty of nature with its exploitation disguised as progress by modern society.

Max Gömann

My work relates to my surroundings and the space that envelops me. This may include everyday situations or specific events.Understanding and perceiving what surrounds us drives my work forward every day. Whether it's sitting together watching football, observing a construction site, having a drink with friends at a bar, or dealing with a flat tire on the highway—each moment has something to offer and tells a story.

Through bold and varied use of color, I aim to draw the viewer into my paintings. Color is intended to enhance the mood of a situation rather than place it in a realistic context—like a memory shaped more by emotion than by a clear image.

When my painting moves away from the human figure and the object becomes the focus of the narrative, these objects are often ones heavily shaped and used by people. Without our intervention, they lose their assigned value or function and begin to take on a life of their own. They start telling their own story, from their own perspective.

Thus, I create my works from the experience of what I have lived and seen, resulting in paintings based on real events that, in their portrayal, offer deeper insight into the emotions I have experienced.