Joe Brockerhoff – PORTRAIT ( min.) 2018/2023, by Julia Zinnbauer

Joe Brockerhoff – PORTRAIT ( min.) 2018/2023, Camera, editing, idea: by Julia Zinnbauer Joe Brockerhoff was an absolutely incredible airbrush artist, driven by an overwhelming imagination and an absolutely perfect technique. I met him in the context of my research for my photo- and video project about an old brothel that was located in Düsseldorf and torn down some years ago. In the early 80s Brockerhoff had created a wallpainting in one of the staircases of the brothel, actually sprayed on the wallpaper. For a long time I tried to rescue this fantastic piece of art, at least parts of it, but unfortunately without any success. In 2018 I organized an exhibition about the whole topic. I took all my courage and asked Joe Brockerhoff if he would spray a portrait of me. He said yes and I encountered an incredibly cool and relaxed artist, always joking and singing, who sprayed his paintings with an inimmitable elegance and knowledge. Unfortunately Joe died in February 2023. Joe was part of the original spirit of Düsseldorf, this very special mixture of art, fashion, glamour and a certain down-to-earth quality, an atmosphere that is slowly vanishing. Im am glad that back then in 2018 I took a video of Joe Brockerhoff spraying the portrait. The costumes I’m wearing in the video are made by myself and it was lovely to see that in his portrait Joe shows me as the action heroine I always wanted to be, even holding a camera in my hand. It was important for me to commemorate Joe by showing the video as part of the exhibition ART ARTIST in March/April 2023, respectively for the video screening that was part of the event: More information here: