Gotthard Graubner
Encyclopedia
Gotthard Graubner is a German
painter
. He was born in Erlbach, in Saxony, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, before becoming a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg, in 1969. His work Black Skin was selected to feature in one of the 100 Great Paintings
programmes by the BBC
in 1980.
at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
, where he studied from 1954–59. Before that, his work had been characterised by using colour sparingly, in shapes and on the edges of the canvas, but from 1955 onwards, he experimented with different approaches towards colour, at first with watercolour and later on canvas
. Instead of focusing on shapes, he began to use colour lavishly.
In the 1960s, Graubner mounted picture-size coloured cushions onto his paintings and used Perlon fabric in an attempt to enhance the spatial effect of colour surfaces. These works were displayed in Alfred Schmela's gallery in Düsseldorf.
Graubner never allowed his style to be dictated by the current fashions or trends. He developed his own style of using colour as the medium through which his work announced itself, allowing it to work independently of any connection to any kind of representation or theme.
1970: Fog Space
1988: Gotthard Graubner was commissioned to draw two large artworks for the Schloss Bellevue
in Berlin.
of the City of Meschede and the North German art Prize in 1988. In 2001, he was awarded the Otto Ritschl
Prize. His work has been shown at the Wiesbaden Museum
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He was born in Erlbach, in Saxony, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, before becoming a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg, in 1969. His work Black Skin was selected to feature in one of the 100 Great Paintings
100 Great Paintings
100 Great Paintings was a British television series recorded in 1980 by Edwin Mullins for BBC Two, in which he also acted as moderator. He chose 20 thematic groups, such as war, the Adoration, the language of color, the hunt, and bathing, picking five paintings from each. The selection ranges from...
programmes by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1980.
Timeline
| Year | |
|---|---|
| 1930 | Born in Erlbach (Saxony, Germany) |
| 1947–1948 | Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Berlin, (West Germany) |
| 1948–1949 | Studied at the Academy of Arts, Dresden |
| 1954 | Left East Germany |
| 1954–1959 | Study at the Academy of Arts,Düsseldorf |
| 1965 | Appointment at the Academy of Fine Arts, Hamburg |
| 1969 | Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Hamburg |
| 1988 | Paintings ordered by Federal President of Germany |
| 1976–1992 | Professor at the Academy of Arts, Düsseldorf |
| 1996 - | Member of Saxon Academy of Arts, Dresden |
Artistic style
The art of Gotthard Graubner is characterised by his unique philosophy and the use of colour in his work. He began developing his own style in 1955, whilst a student of Karl Otto GötzKarl Otto Götz
Karl Otto Götz is a German artist who is best known for his spontaneous abstract painting in the Informel style...
at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, formerly Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, is the Arts Academy of the city of Düsseldorf. It is well known for having produced many famous artists, such as Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Thomas Demand, and Andreas Gursky...
, where he studied from 1954–59. Before that, his work had been characterised by using colour sparingly, in shapes and on the edges of the canvas, but from 1955 onwards, he experimented with different approaches towards colour, at first with watercolour and later on canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
. Instead of focusing on shapes, he began to use colour lavishly.
In the 1960s, Graubner mounted picture-size coloured cushions onto his paintings and used Perlon fabric in an attempt to enhance the spatial effect of colour surfaces. These works were displayed in Alfred Schmela's gallery in Düsseldorf.
Graubner never allowed his style to be dictated by the current fashions or trends. He developed his own style of using colour as the medium through which his work announced itself, allowing it to work independently of any connection to any kind of representation or theme.
List of notable works
1960s: Kissenbilder (Cushion Pictures)1970: Fog Space
1988: Gotthard Graubner was commissioned to draw two large artworks for the Schloss Bellevue
Schloss Bellevue
Schloss Bellevue is the official residence of the President of Germany since 1994. The palace in the central Tiergarten district of Berlin is situated on the northern edge of the Großer Tiergarten park, on the banks of the Spree river, near the Berlin Victory Column...
in Berlin.
Awards
Gotthard Graubner was awarded the August Macke PrizeAugust Macke Prize
The August Macke Prize, named after the painter August Macke , was given the first time in 1959 by the districts Arnsberg, Brilon , Meschede and Olpe in the region of the Hochsauerland, Germany....
of the City of Meschede and the North German art Prize in 1988. In 2001, he was awarded the Otto Ritschl
Otto Ritschl
Otto Karl Albrecht Ritschl was a German theologian, the son of Albrecht Ritschl.After studying at Göttingen, Bonn and Giessen, he became professor at Kiel in 1889 and afterwards at Bonn...
Prize. His work has been shown at the Wiesbaden Museum
Museum Wiesbaden
Museum Wiesbaden is a museum in the Hessian capital Wiesbaden, Germany. Besides the museums in Kassel and Darmstadt, it is one of the three Hessian state museums. The museum comprises an art collection, a natural history collection and a collection of Nassauian antiquities.-External links:***...
.