Interview with Florian von Heißen
In this interview you will learn about the influence Mike Breen has on the art of FvH ART and what moments Florian sees on the dark side of the basketball medal.
Florian, why did you specialize in the topic of nostalgia in sports and basketball in particular?
Florian: Since I first came into contact with basketball at the age of 10 at my home club, the fire that this sport has kindled in me has never diminished. I owe this sport countless moments that have burned into me forever. Be it alone on the open court imitating my NBA icons with their typical moves, fighting for promotion together with my team in the decisive game of the season or witnessing the historic moments thanks to NBA League Pass. Game 6 of Dallas in the 2011 NBA Finals or Kobe's last game and his 61 points are classic examples of moments we were all allowed to witness. I've always been looking for a way to pay tribute to those memories and keep them around. To that end, art provides a perfect platform to capture these memories in their own individual character.
Who is your art for?
Florian: My art is aimed at all the basketball nerds and sports enthusiasts who also want to give their personal basketball memories a very special platform.
Are there moments that you particularly like to look back on?
Florian: All those moments pop into my head where you can still recite the commentators' voices by heart because you watched the scene hundreds of times on YouTube afterwards. There must be a top 5 of Mike Breen's 'bangs'. The special thing about my art is that it directly and consciously brings to life the many goosebump moments and the emotions that you were able to experience yourself or together with friends.
What excites you about combining basketball and art?
Florian: Basketball is so much more than pure athletic challenge. It's about pride, respect and giving your all for your goals. These are exactly the values our stars conveyed to us when they gave their all on the big stage. Depicting these values on canvas and giving them a plastic form is what excites me about the subject.
What frustrating moments are also part of the story for you?
Florian: There are always two sides to a coin in sports. That's why, of course, there were also some moments that changed the history of basketball and frustrated me as a fan. I'm thinking of the far too early departure of Kobe Bryant and a career after basketball that we probably wouldn't have seen with any other basketball player like with him. Or even the injury to Derrick Rose in the 2012 playoffs that denied us numerous other highlight reels of his superhuman athleticism. All the moments that are part of the history of the sport, even if they would have been better off never happening.
You have one wish, what would you change?
Florian: If it were possible, I would undo exactly the moments just described. I look at what this would mean for the history of the sport with one laughing eye and one crying eye. Derrick Rose leads his Bulls from No. 1 in the East to the top of the NBA and brings the first post-Jordan title back to the Windy City. Michael Jordan stays true to basketball and becomes the first player after Bill Russell to win 8 straight championships himself - with Pippen always by his side, of course. And last but not least, Gigi continues his father's career in the WNBA and leads women's basketball out of its attention hole.
What effect do you want your art to have on people?
Florian: I want my art to make people nostalgic and be a way for them to express their love for this great sport that speaks to them from their soul. My art is meant to help them sink into that one moment over and over again and experience it on demand over and over again.
