Age? „I’m not worrying about that just yet,“ Janosch is quoted as saying in an interview. „It’s still so far away,“ is the popular painter and author’s succinct summary. Janosch has always managed, at least in his works aimed at children, to embody the lightness of being, whilst maintaining his own image as a grumpy old man. The popular artist turns 90 today.
What is his own take on the past 90 years? Janosch will probably never reveal that. And even if he did, his statement would be so skilfully woven into stories that the listener would no longer know exactly which parts are fable and which are actually true.
In interviews, the sometimes grumpy artist always emphasises the contentment to be found in a simple lifestyle. At least, that’s what we’re led to believe. Even if Janosch himself seems to have recognised his own worth long ago.
Janosch – the creator of the Tiger Duck turns 90
The artist is the creator of characters such as the Tiger Duck, Günter Kastenfrosch and Wondrak. The latter is an elderly gentleman in a Tiger Duck onesie who regularly dispenses words of wisdom in *Zeitmagazin*. The character is known for his brief statements, which offer such a different perspective on life that often just one or two sentences are enough to gain a fresh perspective on current affairs or everyday problems and to process them in a different way.
Janosch even uses this recipe in one of his Wondrak drawings: when asked how one can heal one’s own soul, the eccentric fictional character replies succinctly: „With a headstand. Then it’s the other way round: what’s bad is good – and just like that, all your problems are solved.“
Perhaps that is precisely how Janosch is getting through the current coronavirus crisis. The pandemic is taking its toll on many people. Those who prefer to live a secluded life, on the other hand, do not have to explain themselves. Coronavirus is the perfect excuse for not having to organise a big celebration.
Tenerife is Janosch’s Panama
Janosch, who was born as Horst Eckert in what was then Hindenburg – now Zabrze – has been living on Tenerife for around 40 years. It has become his personal paradise. What his characters in the work *Oh, How Beautiful is Panama* set out to find – only to realise that their own home is the most beautiful place of all – the artist himself has, after all, found far away.
Janosch loves the seclusion of the Canary Islands. He moved here in 1980 for health reasons. And from Tenerife, the artist continues to publish his pictures, statements and, more recently, a range of merchandise.
On the island, he has maintained his reputation as an eccentric old man. It is said that, whilst drunk, he once stole a bicycle to get home more quickly. Is the story true? In any case, it doesn’t seem entirely far-fetched. Yet, as is so often the case, this tale will probably remain just one of the many myths surrounding Janosch.
Janosch doesn’t need to celebrate his birthday on Tenerife
Janosch has never made any secret of his aversion to the media. And so he is unlikely to be pleased that – as with every milestone birthday – a great deal is being written about him again to mark his 90th. He’ll notice very little of it. One advantage of living in seclusion is being able to determine one’s own daily dose of publicity.
Janosch had a lot to say about ageing. And when he spoke of it – despite a certain melancholy – it always sounded somehow positive. Just as Wondrak always conveys, one simply mustn’t worry too much about the future. Because, in the end, nature takes care of everything in its own way anyway.
This was also the case on his 90th birthday. On that occasion, Janosch received what was perhaps the finest present of all – handed to him by fate itself: due to the pandemic, a maximum of six people who do not live together are allowed to meet in Tenerife. So the eccentric artist had to celebrate, if at all, in the smallest of circles.
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