Dark and impulsive

Parov Stelar opens his personal diary

Parov Stelar at his vernissage in Salzburg(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

The name Parov Stelar is probably first and foremost associated with catchy electroswing numbers. At the opening on Friday evening at the Haas & Gschwandtner gallery in Salzburg, the Upper Austrian also demonstrated his skills as a painter.

 "My paintings are nothing more than a diary. And it's important to write the truth, otherwise you're lying to yourself," says the 49-year-old about his impulsive works.

A gallery visitor looks at a picture by Parov Stelar(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

While black and grey tones dominate the majority of the large-format paintings on the canvas, colorful accents can always be seen in between. Darkness and expressive pop alternate. With so much emotion, it is not unusual for a painting to turn completely around during the working process, says Parov Stelar.

Gallery owners Christian Gschwandtner (left) and Christoph Haas in front of the works.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

There is only one thing that is out of the question for him: the 49-year-old does not want to bend himself with his art. Authenticity is always a priority for him. "If you look at it purely commercially, you will have to bend. But that would be corruption for me and I don't need that," says Parov Stelar resolutely.

However, honest art does not come cheap. You can pay up to 38,000 euros for a large oil painting. Small-format works on paper start at 4,000 euros.

Fans of the artist - whose real name is Marcus Füreder, by the way - can enjoy his music at a much lower price. Parov Stelar is back together with DJ Alle Farben and Lena Sue with the new hit "Drum". "I've actually known Alle Farben for 20 years, but I've only ever been in contact with him sporadically. He recently asked me if we would like to do a track together. That was quite spontaneous."