Döner horizontal

Wayne Horse is really called… Willehad Eilers.

Wayne says that blind drawings are immediate. There's no time for reflection. Once you're in it, you're in it. 

Kebab comes from Persian. It means fried meat.

In the Austrian capital, strong-smelling food like kebabs cause a nuisance, especially when people eat it on public transport. It’s why eating kebabs has been banned on Vienna’s subway trains since September 2018. Leberkäse (a type of sausage), pizza and noodles are banned on the subway as well. The rule has also been introduced to help the cleaners. You can probably appreciate how much food waste is left in public places.

"You may like or dislike it, but the artwork in itself is always exactly as it should be. There's no room for discussion or changes. A blind drawing always stands on its own two feet, a testimony to itself," says Wayne.

When you look at this work, it's sure to bring up all kinds of thoughts and feelings in you. It has something of a landscape about it with many types of shadows. Maybe it reminds you of a big wad of paper. But if you let your imagination run wild, you will probably have many ideas of your own.

The relationship between the artist and the art is equal when the work is created by blind drawing. Wayne believes it is certainly more equal than in a completely controlled scenario where an artist executes a plan or sketch. He doesn't want to know the result beforehand. On the contrary, Wayne finds it exciting when he is unaware of what the outcome will be.

At the start, Wayne says his blind drawings were depictions of the ‘enemy’, like delicately executed drawings of Disney's Bambi. Eventually, however, he ventured further into abstraction with blind animal drawings.

Wayne explains, "It was at the very point when my art began to look too much like art that I felt it needed to be more down to earth. In my opinion, there are not many things intended only for a small and rich group of people more than abstract art. To bring my work back to an accessible level, I decided to allow the subject and the appearance to collide and create a contrast."

“Dôner kebabs are one of the simplest meals you can buy. They happen to be one of my favourites too, by the way," says Wayne.

Did you know that there are vegetarian kebabs? Vegetables like eggplant, shallots, bell peppers and mushrooms are the main ingredients. Speaking of vegetarian, have you ever heard of a ‘Dutch carrot dog’? It's a substitute for – you guessed it – the hot dog. If you are a real meat lover, then it might not sound that yummy. But the carrot is prepared sous-vide, which means vacuum-sealed. The marinade gives it a smoky flavour and thanks to the way everything is cooked, the carrot dog has a crunchy bite. It makes for a genuine snack.

Creating an abstract blind drawing of a dôner kebab has the right balance for Wayne. Drawing technique and image rub up against each other, a bit like magnets when you try to force them together the wrong way.

To help create a better relationship with his work, Wayne does not try to control the process. This working method is a common thread throughout his art. He sets things in motion and just follows the flow. It’s as if a drawing comes about automatically.

If we look at the psychological meaning of colour, yellow symbolises outward orientation, a lust for life and the intellect. It's also symbolic of the child in the play and communication phase. However, yellow is sometimes regarded as the colour of hatred, betrayal and deceit.
The Maya associated yellow with the south.