Neo Rauch
Encyclopedia
Neo Rauch is a German
artist
whose paintings mine the intersection of his personal history with the politics of industrial alienation. His work reflects the influence of socialist realism
, and owes a debt to Surrealists Giorgio de Chirico
and René Magritte
, although Rauch hesitates to align himself with surrealism. He studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
, and he lives in Markkleeberg
near Leipzig, Germany and works as the principal artist of the New Leipzig School
. The artist is represented by Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin and David Zwirner
, New York.
Rauch's paintings suggest a narrative intent but, as art historian Charlotte Mullins explains, closer scrutiny immediately presents the viewer with enigmas: "Architectural elements peter out; men in uniform from throughout history intimidate men and women from other centuries; great struggles occur but their reason is never apparent; styles change at a whim."
and passed his exam at the Thomas-Müntzer-Oberschule (now Gymnasium Stephaneum). Rauch studied painting at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
(Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts). He then was Masterstudent with Professor Arno Rink (1981–1986) and with Professor Bernhard Heisig (1986–1990). After the fall of the GDR Rauch worked from 1993 to 1998 as an assistant to Arno Rink and Sighard Gille at the Leipziger Akademie.
In 2004, he selected EASTinternational
with Gerd Harry Lybke.
From August 2005 until February 2009, he was Professor at the Leipziger Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst. Together with Timm Rautert he was curator for the exhibit "Man muss sich beeilen, wenn man noch etwas sehen will..." ("One has to hurry, if one still wants to see something...") at Gut Selikum in Neuss
.
Rauch works with his spouse and artist Rosa Loy at a former cotton-mill, Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei
, about which he says: "It is the location of concentration and inspiration. Here the best ideas come to me."
, Munich, Germany. In 2011, a selection of the works from this retrospective then traveled to the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland. In 2007, the Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague held a retrospective entitled "Neue Rollen," organized by the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, of Rauch's works covering 13 years. Other solo exhibitions include the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal, Canada (2006); Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany (2006); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Málaga, Spain (2005); and the Albertina
, Vienna, Austria (2004). His work was featured at the 2005 Carnegie International
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he had his first solo North American museum exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum
in St. Louis, Missouri
in 2003-2004. Rauch won the Vincent Award
in 2002, which received a corresponding solo show at the Bonnefanten Museum
in Maastricht, The Netherlands, that same year.
Rauch is considered to be part of the New Leipzig School
and his works are characterized by a style that depends on the Social Realism
of communism. Especially American critics prefer to recognize in his contemporary style a post communist Surrealism. But more than anyone Rauch is recognized as an East-West painter. Rauch merges the modern myths of both the Warsaw Pact
and the Western world. His figures are portrayed in a landscape in which an American Comic-Aestheticism meets the Social Realism
of communism. In the art publication „Texte zur Kunst“ (Texts about Art, number 55) he was defined as an example for a new German neo-conservatism.
One of his promoters, Roberta Smith (journalist for the New York Times), caused great enthusiasm in the US for Rauch's works with an article about the "painter, who came from the cold." In 2007, Rauch painted a series of works especially for a solo exhibition in the mezzanine of the modern art wing at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City
. This special exhibition was called "Para." Rauch explains that he enjoys the associations the word "para" evokes in his own mind, and says that his works at "Para" have no particular intention, but that they could signify anything to anyone.
Works for "Para":
The works created for "Para" are characterized by three elements: a pre-communist civic-mindedness, communist Social Realism
and an idealized countryside. On the other hand it's a prefix which evokes associations like para-normal, para-dox or para-noia.
It may be read in a system connection, for example a picture like Paranoia reflects the cognitions theory in a hermetic room.
Leipzig, Rauch's city of birth, is known historically as a city of trade through its association with the Leipzig Trade Fair
. This civic-mindedness of a trader's city also expressed itself under communism where Leipzig was the center of popular resistance that led to Die Wende
. Rauch uses characters and images of life of pre-communist civil society that was oppressed by communism in the GDR. The oppression of communism and the total control of civic life under the rule of communist ideology is one of the elements of Rauch's work. The destructive powers of ideologies is perhaps the reason why Rauch refuses to interpret his own work as a powerful statement in favor of a cultural relativism that characterized the civic bourgeois thought that was destroyed.
- Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany; Los Angeles County Museum of Art
, Los Angeles, California; Metropolitan Museum of Art
, New York; Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Museum Ludwig
, Cologne, Germany; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Pinakothek der Moderne
, Munich, Germany; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
, New York; and the Stedelijk Museum
, Amsterdam.
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...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
whose paintings mine the intersection of his personal history with the politics of industrial alienation. His work reflects the influence of socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
, and owes a debt to Surrealists Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico was a pre-Surrealist and then Surrealist Italian painter born in Volos, Greece, to a Genovese mother and a Sicilian father. He founded the scuola metafisica art movement...
and René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
, although Rauch hesitates to align himself with surrealism. He studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
The Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig is one of the oldest art schools in Germany, dating back to 1764. The school has four colleges specialising in fine arts, graphic design, photography and new media art with around 500 students....
, and he lives in Markkleeberg
Markkleeberg
Markkleeberg is a town in the Leipzig district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Pleiße, approx. 7 km south of Leipzig.In 1813 much of the Battle of Leipzig took place where today's Markkleeberg is situated....
near Leipzig, Germany and works as the principal artist of the New Leipzig School
New Leipzig School
The term New Leipzig School refers to a movement in modern German painting. The usage and origins of this term are debated.The "old" Leipzig School was a term used by art journalists which had became established by some time no later than 1977, and the involvement of Werner Tübke, Wolfgang...
. The artist is represented by Galerie EIGEN + ART Leipzig/Berlin and David Zwirner
David Zwirner
David Zwirner is a gallerist and art dealer and owner of the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City. In 2010 Zwirner was listed at number four in the ArtReview annual "Power 100" list.-Early Life:...
, New York.
Rauch's paintings suggest a narrative intent but, as art historian Charlotte Mullins explains, closer scrutiny immediately presents the viewer with enigmas: "Architectural elements peter out; men in uniform from throughout history intimidate men and women from other centuries; great struggles occur but their reason is never apparent; styles change at a whim."
Life
Rauch's parents died in a train accident when he was four weeks old. He grew up with his grandparents in AscherslebenAschersleben
Aschersleben is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km east of Quedlinburg, and 45 km northwest of Halle .-Pre-20th century:...
and passed his exam at the Thomas-Müntzer-Oberschule (now Gymnasium Stephaneum). Rauch studied painting at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
The Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig is one of the oldest art schools in Germany, dating back to 1764. The school has four colleges specialising in fine arts, graphic design, photography and new media art with around 500 students....
(Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts). He then was Masterstudent with Professor Arno Rink (1981–1986) and with Professor Bernhard Heisig (1986–1990). After the fall of the GDR Rauch worked from 1993 to 1998 as an assistant to Arno Rink and Sighard Gille at the Leipziger Akademie.
In 2004, he selected EASTinternational
EASTinternational
EASTinternational is an open submission exhibition that was launched in 1991 and takes place at the Norwich University College of the Arts. Applications from over 1,000 contemporary artists are received each year with approximately 25-30 artists selected to exhibit...
with Gerd Harry Lybke.
From August 2005 until February 2009, he was Professor at the Leipziger Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst. Together with Timm Rautert he was curator for the exhibit "Man muss sich beeilen, wenn man noch etwas sehen will..." ("One has to hurry, if one still wants to see something...") at Gut Selikum in Neuss
Neuss
Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known...
.
Rauch works with his spouse and artist Rosa Loy at a former cotton-mill, Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei
Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei
The Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei is an industrial site in Leipzig, Germany. Parts of this 10-hectare site in the district of Lindenau are used today by art galleries, studios and restaurants....
, about which he says: "It is the location of concentration and inspiration. Here the best ideas come to me."
Exhibitions
In 2010, Rauch had his first museum retrospective, which was jointly held at the Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig in Leipizig, Germany, and the Pinakothek der ModernePinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Moderne is a modern art museum, situated in the city centre of Munich, Germany. Together with its two predecessors Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek The Pinakothek der Moderne (= "(Art) Gallery of the Modern"; from Greek: "pinax" = "board", "tablet") is a modern art museum,...
, Munich, Germany. In 2011, a selection of the works from this retrospective then traveled to the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland. In 2007, the Galerie Rudolfinum in Prague held a retrospective entitled "Neue Rollen," organized by the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, of Rauch's works covering 13 years. Other solo exhibitions include the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal, Canada (2006); Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany (2006); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Málaga, Spain (2005); and the Albertina
Albertina
The Albertina is a museum in Vienna, Austria, containing the world's best collection of old master prints and drawings.Albertina, a feminine adjectival form of Albert , may also refer to:...
, Vienna, Austria (2004). His work was featured at the 2005 Carnegie International
Carnegie International
The Carnegie International is the oldest North American exhibition of contemporary art from around the globe. It was first organized at the behest of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie on November 5, 1896 in Pittsburgh. Carnegie established the International to educate and inspire the...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he had his first solo North American museum exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum
Saint Louis Art Museum
The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, visited by up to a half million people every year. Admission is free through a subsidy from the cultural tax district for St. Louis City and County.Located in Forest Park in St...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 2003-2004. Rauch won the Vincent Award
Vincent Award
The Vincent Award is awarded every two years to a European artist that judges believe "will have significant, enduring impact on contemporary art."...
in 2002, which received a corresponding solo show at the Bonnefanten Museum
Bonnefanten Museum
The Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht, Netherlands is the foremost museum of fine art and contemporary art in the province of Limburg.-History:The museum was founded in 1884 as the historical and archaeological museum of the Dutch province of Limburg...
in Maastricht, The Netherlands, that same year.
Works
In painting "Characteristic, suggestion and eternity" are important marks of quality.Rauch is considered to be part of the New Leipzig School
New Leipzig School
The term New Leipzig School refers to a movement in modern German painting. The usage and origins of this term are debated.The "old" Leipzig School was a term used by art journalists which had became established by some time no later than 1977, and the involvement of Werner Tübke, Wolfgang...
and his works are characterized by a style that depends on the Social Realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
of communism. Especially American critics prefer to recognize in his contemporary style a post communist Surrealism. But more than anyone Rauch is recognized as an East-West painter. Rauch merges the modern myths of both the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
and the Western world. His figures are portrayed in a landscape in which an American Comic-Aestheticism meets the Social Realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
of communism. In the art publication „Texte zur Kunst“ (Texts about Art, number 55) he was defined as an example for a new German neo-conservatism.
One of his promoters, Roberta Smith (journalist for the New York Times), caused great enthusiasm in the US for Rauch's works with an article about the "painter, who came from the cold." In 2007, Rauch painted a series of works especially for a solo exhibition in the mezzanine of the modern art wing at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This special exhibition was called "Para." Rauch explains that he enjoys the associations the word "para" evokes in his own mind, and says that his works at "Para" have no particular intention, but that they could signify anything to anyone.
Para
- Jagdzimmer (Hunter's room), 2007
- Vater (Father), 2007
- Die Fuge (The Fugue/The Gap), 2007
- Warten auf die Barbaren (Waiting for the Barbarians), 2007
- Para, 2007
- Paranoia, 2007
- Goldgrube (Gold Mine), 2007
- Vorort (Suburb), 2007
- Der nächste Zug (The Next Move/The Next Draw), 2007
- Die Flamme (The Flame), 2007
The works created for "Para" are characterized by three elements: a pre-communist civic-mindedness, communist Social Realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
and an idealized countryside. On the other hand it's a prefix which evokes associations like para-normal, para-dox or para-noia.
It may be read in a system connection, for example a picture like Paranoia reflects the cognitions theory in a hermetic room.
Leipzig, Rauch's city of birth, is known historically as a city of trade through its association with the Leipzig Trade Fair
Leipzig Trade Fair
The Leipzig Trade Fair was a major fair for trade across Central Europe for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, its location happened to lie within the borders of East Germany, whereupon it became one of the most important trade fairs of Comecon and was traditionally a meeting place...
. This civic-mindedness of a trader's city also expressed itself under communism where Leipzig was the center of popular resistance that led to Die Wende
Die Wende
marks the complete process of the change from socialism and planned economy to market economy and capitalism in East Germany around the years 1989 and 1990. It encompasses several processes and events which later have become synonymous with the overall process...
. Rauch uses characters and images of life of pre-communist civil society that was oppressed by communism in the GDR. The oppression of communism and the total control of civic life under the rule of communist ideology is one of the elements of Rauch's work. The destructive powers of ideologies is perhaps the reason why Rauch refuses to interpret his own work as a powerful statement in favor of a cultural relativism that characterized the civic bourgeois thought that was destroyed.
Collections
Work by the artist is held in public collections, including the Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, The Netherlands; Hamburger BahnhofHamburger Bahnhof
Hamburger Bahnhof is a former railway station in Berlin, Germany, on Invalidenstraße in the Moabit district opposite the Charité hospital. Today it serves as the Museum für Gegenwart , a contemporary art museum....
- Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany; Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, Los Angeles, California; Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, New York; Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein....
, Cologne, Germany; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Pinakothek der Moderne
Pinakothek der Moderne
The Pinakothek der Moderne is a modern art museum, situated in the city centre of Munich, Germany. Together with its two predecessors Alte Pinakothek and Neue Pinakothek The Pinakothek der Moderne (= "(Art) Gallery of the Modern"; from Greek: "pinax" = "board", "tablet") is a modern art museum,...
, Munich, Germany; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
, New York; and the Stedelijk Museum
Stedelijk Museum
Founded in 1874, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is a museum for classic modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It has been housed on the Paulus Potterstraat, next to Museum Square Museumplein and to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw, in Amsterdam Zuid...
, Amsterdam.
Awards
- 1992 Renta-Preis 1992, Nürnberg
- 1997 Kunstpreis der Leipziger Volkszeitung, LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
- 2002 Vincent AwardVincent AwardThe Vincent Award is awarded every two years to a European artist that judges believe "will have significant, enduring impact on contemporary art."...
, Bonnefanten MuseumBonnefanten MuseumThe Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht, Netherlands is the foremost museum of fine art and contemporary art in the province of Limburg.-History:The museum was founded in 1884 as the historical and archaeological museum of the Dutch province of Limburg...
MaastrichtMaastrichtMaastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Netherlands - 2005 Kunstpreis Finkenwerder
- 2010 Stiftungspreis der ökumenischen Stiftung Bibel und Kultur 2010, StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
Sources
- Mullins, Charlotte (2006). Painting People: figure painting today. New York: D.A.P. ISBN 978-1-933045-38-2
External links
- Neo Rauch at David Zwirner
- Selected Press at David Zwirner
- Neo Rach on Artcyclopedia
- MuseumZeitraum Leipzig
- Neo Rauch exhibition at Musée d'art Contemporain de Montréal, 2006/07
- Galerie Eigen + Art
- Neo Rauch at artfacts.net
- Neo Rauch biography - Carnegie International
- Homepage Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei
- Portrait of the artist by the Goethe-Institut