Many people know Marius Sperlich’s art, but little is known about the artist. Because unlike other Instagram celebrities, he doesn’t post any advertising collaborations, doesn’t shoot daily stories and doesn’t speak into the camera. Sperlich is not an influencer – he is an internet phenomenon.
Today around 534,000 people follow him on Instagram. Sperlich has now exhibited his art in Miami, Hamburg and São Paulo, photographed and designed “Playboy” covers, designed bomber jackets, sold NFTs, created music videos and designed record covers for the rapper Ufo361. International media such as “Forbes” and “The Guardian” reported about the artist from Germany.
Sperlich says he sees the miniature figures as just a way to make small things look big. Above all, he is interested in close-up photography. “Close-ups enable everything you need to attract attention: saturated color worlds, humor and an aha moment.” You would rarely get as close to someone in real life as he photographs. That attracts people.
“My close-up photographs create anonymous intimacy,” says Sperlich. “You’re very close, which creates a private closeness. But you usually only see a tiny section. The person outside of this section remains anonymous.” The extreme closeness fascinates him because it automatically provokes a feeling in people. His bright, loud aesthetic promotes this because it works like commercial imagery: direct and understandable. Sperlich says he has always found advertising “cool”. “But not because it takes money out of your pocket, but because successful advertising reaches people. That’s what I wanted too: photography as communication appeals to me.” For example, some people are disgusted by his hairy pictures. “I like it when my art triggers extreme feelings, because I always feel very extreme about myself,” he says. “Shared feelings are gold on the Internet.”