Johan Deckmann How To Get Up and Keep Pretending For Sale

About this work

Johan Deckmann has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary conceptual art, garnering international recognition for his singular practice of transforming books into vehicles for psychological inquiry. The Danish artist, who maintains a parallel career as a practicing psychotherapist, occupies a unique position at the intersection of visual art and therapeutic discourse, with his works held in private collections across Europe and North America. How To Get Up and Keep Pretending exemplifies Deckmann's characteristic approach, presenting a fabricated book cover rendered in acrylic that functions simultaneously as painting, sculpture, and cultural commentary. The work confronts viewers with a title that reads as both sardonic self-help manual and uncomfortably honest confession, mining the familiar visual language of publishing to expose the performed nature of daily existence. The artist's precise, deadpan execution deliberately mimics the aesthetic conventions of actual book design, creating a trompe l'oeil effect that rewards sustained examination. At sixteen and a half by thirteen and three-eighths inches, the work operates at an intimate yet commanding scale, inviting close viewing while maintaining sufficient presence for prominent display. The acrylic medium allows Deckmann to achieve the flat, commercial finish essential to his conceptual strategy, blurring boundaries between fine art and mass-produced object. This 2026 work represents the continued evolution of Deckmann's practice, demonstrating his ongoing relevance within contemporary discussions surrounding mental health, authenticity, and the construction of public selfhood. For acquisition inquiries regarding this work by Johan Deckmann, please contact Guy Hepner directly.