Peter Brüning

Peter Brüning (1929–1970) is a well-known German exponent of “art informel” with an international reputation.

In 1950 Brüning began his studies with Willi Baumeister at Stuttgart’s Academy of Fine Art. His early style was characterized most by his renowned teacher and the interaction between expressionism and cubism. Before long, in 1953 Brüning was a founding member of the “Künstlergruppe Niederrhein” art movement, also known as “Gruppe 53”, along with Winfred Gaul, Konrad Klapheck, Heinz Mack and Otto Piene. The group was a core part of the avant-garde art scene in Düsseldorf and the Rhineland region, parallel to ZERO, and garnered great attention with an array of exhibitions.

In 1964 the artist, always hunting for new modes of expression, invented a new type of landscape painting called “Verkehrslandschaft” (“traffic landscape”). It was this style—in which Brüning incorporated traffic symbols and pictograms into his work—that made him famous. 

Brüning had the honor of exhibiting at the documenta in Kassel three times in a row. His artwork has received a wide range of distinctions, including the highly renowned Villa Romana Prize. Today Brüning’s works can be found in lots of museum collections, including the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, the Kunsthalle in Bonn, and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.