Aloys F. Gangkofner

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Aloys Ferdinand Gangkofner (* 1920 in Reichenberg , † 2003 in Munich ) was a German glass designer.

Life

Aloys Gangkofner was born in Reichenberg in the Bavarian Forest - a region that is famous for its traditional glass craft. His father worked as a glass cutter in the nearby Riedlhütte glass factory. Aloys Gangkofner attended the State Technical School for the Glass Industry in Zwiesel, completed an apprenticeship as a glass cutter in the Riedlhütte glass factory and worked for an engineering office from 1937 before he was drafted into military service in 1939. After returning from captivity, he began to work as a freelancer and was employed as a specialist teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich . From this activity he was finally able to establish the full chair of "Glass and Light" there. Aloys Gangkofner is the father of the artist Matthias Gangkofner .

plant

From 1952 onwards, Gangkofner became increasingly interested in traditional techniques for the free shaping of glass. The workshop of the Waldsassener Glashütte Lamberts was available to him at the weekend. Together with the local glassmakers, Gangkofner experimented with traditional manufacturing techniques threatened with oblivion and expanded the design possibilities of these traditional production methods. To do this, he sketched the desired shapes, the glassmakers blew the glass accordingly and Gangkofner also formed the hot material with logs.

In addition to this highly handcrafted approach, Gangkofner also developed products for series production. In particular, his designs for the well-known Peill & Putzler glassworks based in Düren achieved widespread popularity and popularity. But he also worked for Erco , Hessenglaswerke and Corning in the United States.

In addition, Aloys Gangkofner created light installations in foyers and meeting rooms of insurance companies, banks and theaters. It was less about functional lighting solutions than about representative eye-catchers. Often it was arrangements of hundreds of handcrafted lead crystal prisms or solid crystal glass spheres that he effectively combined with light sources.

In 2018, the Mawa Design company reissued a selection of pendant lights based on Gangkofner's designs.

Awards

  • In 1954, Aloys Gangkofner's works were awarded gold at the X. Triennale di Milano.

Collections

literature

  • Helmut Ricke, Xenia Riemann: Aloys F. Gangkofner. Glass and light. Works from four decades. = Glass and Light. Works through Four Decades. Prestel, Munich et al. 2008, ISBN 978-3-7913-4193-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Teaching · Biography --- ALOYS F. GANGKOFNER. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Industrial designs · Work --- ALOYS F. Gangkofner. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
  3. ^ Alfons Hannes (with contributions by Wolfgang Kermer and Erwin Eisch ): The Wolfgang Kermer Collection, Glasmuseum Frauenau: Glass of the 20th century; 50s to 70s . Schnell & Steiner, Munich, Zurich 1989 (= Bavarian Museums; 9) ISBN 3-7954-0753-2 , pp. 27–28 with color illus.
  4. ↑ AF Gangkofner | MoMA. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Gangkofner, Aloys F.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gangkofner, Aloys Ferdinand (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German glass designer
DATE OF BIRTH 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Reichenberg
DATE OF DEATH 2003
Place of death Munich