Bridging Disciplines: A Designer and Artist at the Crossroads of Innovation
Gunther Kleinert (@monotonstereo on Instagram), a Hamburg-based artist and designer, has carved out a distinctive niche by seamlessly merging the worlds of product design, spatial concepts, technology, and visual art. His foundation lies in industrial design, interior architecture, and scenography, fields he studied at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. These interdisciplinary roots have informed his creative methodology, encouraging him to challenge traditional boundaries and adopt a multi-faceted approach to his work. Kleinert’s career trajectory exemplifies his ability to unite applied design, conceptual thinking, and cutting-edge generative processes into cohesive, thought-provoking creations.
Currently serving as a senior designer and art director at the award-winning Studio Labs in Hamburg, Kleinert continues to push the limits of his practice. While his professional career initially centered on product and spatial design, his passion for artistic expression developed alongside it, fueled by a fascination with structure, rhythm, and the transformation of intangible elements into visual forms. Kleinert’s explorations led him to the realm of generative art, where he employs algorithms and code to translate sound and data into meticulously structured compositions. Central to this process is a vintage 1980s drawing machine, which he uses to blend digital precision with the organic, unpredictable nature of ink on paper.
Music, spoken language, and environmental soundscapes form the backbone of Kleinert’s work. His creative mission revolves around making the unseen visible, capturing ephemeral moments, and translating them into tangible, visual experiences. His pieces, characterized by their intricate patterns and dynamic structures, reflect a deep engagement with both the mathematical logic of algorithms and the poetic beauty of sound.
Gunther Kleinert: A Lifelong Journey into Art and Interdisciplinary Exploration
Art has been a central theme in Gunther Kleinert’s life from an early age. Growing up in a family that celebrated creativity, he was encouraged to explore artistic expression in its many forms. As a teenager, he envisioned himself pursuing a creative career, oscillating between dreams of becoming a designer, comic artist, or fine artist. These aspirations eventually led him to study industrial design and scenography at a prestigious art academy. Here, he embraced an interdisciplinary education that allowed him to experiment with a wide variety of fields, ultimately shaping his eclectic approach to art and design.
After completing his studies, Kleinert initially established himself as a product and interior designer, collaborating on innovative projects that combined functionality with aesthetic sophistication. However, his artistic practice continued to evolve, expanding into self-initiated projects that explored the synergy between applied and free art. This interplay became a defining feature of his work, as both disciplines enriched and informed each other.
Kleinert’s journey into generative art began in 2017, marking a pivotal moment in his career. This shift allowed him to dive deeper into the use of algorithms and code to create complex, data-driven compositions. By focusing on the interplay between digital tools and analog materials, he developed a signature style that celebrates both precision and unpredictability. Each piece is a testament to his ability to translate intangible concepts—whether musical rhythms or environmental sounds—into compelling visual forms.
From Soundscapes to Visuals: Kleinert’s Unique Approach to Generative Art
At the heart of Gunther Kleinert’s artistic practice lies his innovative approach to generative art, where sound and music are transformed into intricate visual compositions. His work bridges the digital and the analog, using algorithms to analyze parameters such as frequency, rhythm, and dynamics, which are then translated into structured lines, shapes, and layered patterns. Central to his process is his 1980s drawing machine, a tool that injects an organic, tactile quality into his otherwise precise, algorithmic creations.
One of Kleinert’s most notable series, I Can See Music, embodies his fascination with the visualization of sound. Through this project, musical compositions are transformed into abstract scores, revealing the hidden structures and patterns within each piece. Similarly, his series The Sound of captures the acoustic identity of specific places, combining field recordings, photography, and generative drawings to document moments in time. These projects highlight his commitment to exploring themes of perception, time, and the visualization of the invisible.
More recently, Kleinert has ventured into augmented reality and three-dimensional applications, expanding his sound-based visuals into immersive spaces. This evolution reflects his desire to continually push the boundaries of his medium, creating works that offer new sensory experiences. His artistic style is not static but constantly evolving, informed by his curiosity and willingness to experiment with new tools and techniques. By uncovering hidden structures—whether in music, language, or computational systems—Kleinert invites viewers to engage with the unseen layers of the world around them.
Gunther Kleinert: Collaborative Projects and Meaningful Creations
Collaboration plays a vital role in Gunther Kleinert’s practice, allowing him to merge his artistic vision with the ideas of other creatives. One of his most significant projects is a collaboration with Emmy Award-winning composer Benjamin Wynn, also known as Deru, for the album We Will Live On. Deru’s compositions, created using a Disklavier—a digitally controlled acoustic piano—were based on geometric patterns that generated organic yet non-metric structures. Inspired by this innovative approach, Kleinert translated the musical data into pen-on-paper artworks, using his drawing machine to create visual representations that echoed the interplay between precision and expressiveness in Deru’s music.
Another standout collaboration is with the German loop jazz duo Olicía for their album Out of the Blue. For the track The Frame, Kleinert translated the rhythm, structure, and sonic layers of the music into a deconstructed visual composition. This project was characterized by a dynamic creative exchange, where Kleinert’s visuals influenced the music, and the music, in turn, shaped his artwork. The collaboration will culminate in a multidisciplinary exhibition at Robotoron Kantine in Dresden in April 2025, featuring Kleinert’s visual works alongside other contributing artists, accompanied by a live performance by Olicía.
Kleinert’s choice of medium reflects his fascination with the balance between digital and analog processes. While his primary tools include his vintage drawing machine, pens, and paper, he has also experimented with screen printing, spray paint, and plaster. Additionally, photography serves as a way for him to capture structures and rhythms in the real world. His recent foray into augmented reality and 3D applications demonstrates his commitment to pushing the boundaries of his artistic practice, ensuring that his work continues to evolve and inspire.
