Sat 29 Nov 2003
Gottfried Helnwein
Filed in Artists |
1948 Born in Vienna.
1965 to 1969 Studies at the “H�here Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt” (Experimental Institute for Higher Graphic Education).
Walks with his friend Manfred Deix from Venice to Vienna over several days without eating or sleeping.
From 1966 First Aktions for a small audience. First bandaging happenings.
1969 to 1973 Studies painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
Works on a series of hyper-realistic paintings of wounded children.
Intensive research into the various forms of trivial aesthetics such as comics, advertising, and film; puts this experience into his work. Water colour: “Unkeusches Kind” (Unchaste Child), “Peinlich” (Embarrassing), “Gemeines Kind” (Mean Child); first oil paintings: “Mutter, Du hier?” (Mother, Is It You?); “F�hrer, wir danken Dir!” (F�hrer, We Thank You!).
1970 Academy Prize.
First photographic self-portraits with bandages and surgical instruments.
1971 Kardinal K�nig Prize.
First public Aktions in Vienna in the streets, in coffee houses, etc.
In an exhibition in the Vienna K�nstlerhaus, unidentified people put “Entartete Kunst” (the Nazis’ term for “degenerate art”) stickers on Helnwein’s pictures. At the opening of an exhibition in Galerie D in M�dling, near Vienna, the mayor has pictures by Helnwein confiscated by the police.
1972 An exhibition of Helnwein paintings in the Gallery of the House of the Press in Vienna is closed after three days because of strong protests and strike threats by the works council.
Work on a series of pen-and-ink, crayon and pencil drawings.
Scratches and scrapes a series of self-portraits and child-photos with luminous stigma.
1973 First edition of an etching “Meine Buben haben einen T�rken in die Schlucht gestossen” (My Little Rascals Have Shoved a Turk into the Ravine).
More pen-and-ink drawings and happenings with children; ORF (Austrian national TV) film: “Engagierte Kunst?” (Committed Art?), directed by E. Kroiss;
“Sandra” happening in the Gallery over the Stubenbastei, Vienna.
First cover for the political and cultural magazine “Profil”
(”Selbstmord in �sterreich”, ‘Suicide in Austria’) - many readers cancel their subscriptions.
1974 Theodor K�rner Prize.
“Weisse Kinder” (White Children) Aktion with 15 bandaged children in K�rntnerstrasse, in the centre of Vienna.
ZDF (German national TV) film portrait “Helnweins Sehtest” (Helnwein’s Eye Test), directed by Heinz Dieckmann.
1975 Works on a series of pen-and-ink drawings on the subject of corrective devices (”Metallippe zum L�cheln” [Metal Lip for Smiling]; “Korrekturspange” [Corrective Brace]; “Das Wannenwunder von Watras” [The Bathtub Wonder of Watras]; “Assistent Assmann” [Assistant Assmann]; “Hilfe f�r Mann ohne Kinn” [Help for Man with no Chin] etc.).
1976 “Allzeit Bereit” (Always Prepared) Aktion at the Naschmarkt, Vienna.
1977 Seven-month stay abroad, studying in the USA.
1979 One-man show with pen-and-ink drawings in the Albertina Museum, Vienna.
Aktion in the International Year of the Child.
R. H�pfinger and E. Regnier hand out sweets and toys bearing texts and Helnwein pictures of wounded children to passers-by in Z�rich.
With an open letter and the picture of a dead child lying with its head in a plate of poisoned food (”Lebensunwertes Leben” [Life Unworthy of Life]) he protests against Austria’s number one forensic psychiatrist, the former euthanasia doctor, Dr. Gross, who admitted in an interview that in the Nazi era he had poisoned hundreds of children and called this method of killing humane.
Helnwein became intensively involved with the phenomenon of the split between High Art and Trivial Art. He saw this as an apartheid situation in 20th century culture.
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A master of realist, Gottfried is one of the greatest living painter. His ability to reproduce reality on canvas is extraordinary and his work forces the audience to look at some of the things we try to avoid with indifference in everyday life. His art states a clear message and is not afraid to scream out loud “WAKE UP”.