Günther Uecker
Günther Uecker is one of Germany's most internationally renowned artists.
Biography of the artist:
Initially, Günther Uecker (born 13 March 1930) studied painting at the Academy of Arts in Berlin-Weißensee, among other places. In 1953, he moved from the GDR to West Germany. From 1955 to 1957, he continued his studies at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. It was during this time that he created his first nail pictures, or rather his three-dimensional reliefs made of nails painted white. In 1970, Günther Uecker represented Germany at the Venice Biennale. From 1974 to 1995, he held a professorship at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. Günther Uecker is co-founder of the Düsseldorf ZERO Foundation, which was established in 2008.
International renown
Günther Uecker first gained recognition in the 1960s as a member of the legendary ZERO group. Today he is considered one of Germany's most important artists and enjoys an excellent international reputation. His works are exhibited worldwide and can be found in the collections of numerous major museums. Günther Uecker's work has been honoured with many awards, including the Kaiserring of the city of Goslar, the Pour le Mérite for science and the arts, and the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The works of Günther Uecker
Probably among the best-known works by Günther Uecker are his nail reliefs, which have appeared repeatedly in his oeuvre since 1956. Over the decades, Günther Uecker has repeatedly changed and expanded his artistic work. His oeuvre encompasses an impressive range of forms of expression. Günther Uecker drives nails into wooden panels, paints with his bare hands, creates monumental sculptures or temporary sand installations – to name just a few of his artistic techniques and materials.
The multifaceted nature and depth of content in Günther Uecker's oeuvre are fascinating.
Günther Uecker on his art
‘Where language fails, images begin.’ This is a frequently quoted statement by the artist. For Günther Uecker, art is a universal means of communication that conveys the unsayable.
Limited editions by Günther Uecker
The strictly limited editions by Günther Uecker are coveted collector's items. Both the relief-like, three-dimensional nail embossed prints on white handmade paper and the often black and white silkscreens or lithographs are among the artist's most sought-after works.
Portfolio ‘Graphein’
‘Graphein’ (Greek) means writing, painting, drawing. In this series, Günther Uecker deals with the oldest writings – twelve in total – in human history. They come from different cultural contexts and times, such as cuneiform or hieroglyphics.
Günther Uecker created a set of three artworks for each writing system: a nail embossed print and two elaborate stereotype prints. He was inspired to design the nail embossed prints by the visual appearance of the respective characters that serve as cultural carriers. Each nail embossed print is juxtaposed with the two accompanying stereotype prints, on the one hand examples of the writings and on the other hand accompanying texts. The latter are poems or reflections on the subject and meaning of writing, for example by Plato or Shakespeare.
In his oeuvre, Günther Uecker has repeatedly dealt with the relationship between his art and writing. ‘Graphein’ (2002) is considered a highlight of this exploration and is one of the most beautiful bibliophile portfolio works by the artist!
Portfolio ‘Hiob’
The Book of Job is a book of the Bible and is considered to be one of the greatest works of ancient literature. It deals with the question of how a person can behave correctly in times of trouble and bad news or trial. The central message is that qualities such as patience and endurance, faithfulness and loyalty will ultimately be rewarded.
The subject has been treated many times in art and literature. But hardly any artist has succeeded in dealing with the material as forcefully as Günther Uecker in his ‘Hiob’ portfolio. It is considered one of the artist's most important monumental portfolio works. A copy is in the art collection of the German Bundestag.
Each work of art in the series is a double-page spread that can be folded in the middle. The text is on the back, with the motif on the front.
Portfolio ‘Sarajewo’
Portfolios play an important role in Günther Uecker's work, because they are extensive works with conceptual demands. For the portfolio ‘Sarajewo’, Günther Uecker designed 20 screen prints. They are striking works – reduced to the essentials.
Portfolio ‘Ouroboros – Walking the Circle’
The works in the portfolio are large-format solitaires. There are deep black and sand-gold coloured variants. The pictures show fascinating circular and spiral forms – motifs that are very characteristic of Günther Uecker's oeuvre.
In the series, Günther Uecker explores the act of walking in circles. Since the 1950s, the artist has repeatedly explored the theme of circling. It is an action that illustrates eternal return and the idea of everything being connected: from the beginning to the end to the beginning. The works create a complex symbolism. They evoke associations with meditative circling or the cycle of life.
The materials Günther Uecker works with here are extraordinary. For one thing, sand was applied along with the paint. This creates a grainy materiality of the paint and a haptic effect. For another, the works are not on paper, but on canvas stretched on a stretcher frame. This emphasises the painting character of the works.
