Fredy Fehr

Friedrich Gottfried "Fredy" Fehr (born April 7, 1917 in Zurich ; † May 13, 1979 there ) was a Swiss painter .

Life

Fehr was the son of the painter Adolf Fehr . After completing compulsory school, he completed an apprenticeship as a typesetter in his father's print shop on Zentralstrasse in Zurich. Unhappy with this job, after graduation he looked for a more interesting job and after a few detours came to painting in 1944. He received his first instructions from Walter Jonas , a painter from Zurich. Then he continued his self-taught training. He dealt with the history and theory of painting. The main currents of modernity ( Fauvism , Impressionism , concrete Cubism ) and later, in the 1960s, constructivism shaped his early work.

After marrying Hilke Fehr from the Netherlands in 1948, he often stayed in Amersfoort , half an hour from Amsterdam. The Netherlands offered him many motifs with the wide, flat landscape, the special light, the red houses and streets. In the artist cafés in Amsterdam he made friends with various artists. They made their studio available to him for a time, where some of his Amsterdam pictures were taken. Jan Meefout, an Amsterdam sculptor and good friend, offered him regular accommodation on his recurring stays.

In 1952 Fehr returned to Switzerland after a long stay in Holland. In his artistic activity he came back to less formally interpreted landscape painting, inspired in southern countries and in Ticino. Fehr was attracted by the foreign, inspired by travel. Standing in front of large canvases in the wide landscape, fighting under the burning sun or against the wind, struggling to bring the motif onto the canvas as he saw it and wanted to capture it.

From 1955 Fehr traveled regularly for longer stays to Sanary sur Mèr , where many artists and personalities were staying in the 1950s. During this time they met u. a. at the Café Le Marine by Monsieur Figier. Fehr had many interesting encounters and made friendships, including Jack Bilbo , a well-known personality, all-round artist and adventurer. He shortened the long evenings in January and February with stories from his very adventurous life. Or a French, writing baroness who enthusiastically wanted to organize an exhibition in Paris. Then there is an American count who works as a writer, a German yacht owner who is always happy, Dr. Artificial, a German doctor with a practice, Konrad Fischer from Düsseldorf, later a well-known gallery owner. This interesting company was very fruitful and provided variety.

In 1958 Fehr met Jan Nieuwenhuijs , a member of the Cobra group. This friendship led him to paint wild pictures in which he applied the paint in thick layers with a spatula on the canvas.

In 1961, Fehr traveled to Andalusia at the invitation of Werner Bolliger, a composer and pianist friend, where he and his family spent around four months in his house on Cerro Gordo. Not getting away from the landscape there, he returned to Spain twice. He makes friends with artists of various origins (including Sweden, Germany, Australia). He also made warm acquaintances with the people of Herradura.

Between 1967 and 1969 Fehr stayed several times in Sicily, in a village near Siracusa. From there he made a few trips to Agrigento to the Greek temples he painted.

In 1971 Fehr traveled to Coldrerio in Ticino at the invitation of a friend. In doing so he discovered the beauty of Mendrisiotto. From 1972 Fehr was able to move into an old farmhouse (Bongio). This was on a hill of Coldrerio. The panorama over the Ticino landscape to Chiasso ideally offered motifs for the landscape painter. Many other artists lived in the area, with whom Fehr was in close contact. Until his death, Fehr spent the summer together with his wife in the Bongio, the winter months in Zurich.

Exhibitions

Participation in the annual exhibition Zurich Artists, Helmhaus Zurich four times in the 50 years
Participation in three exhibitions of the artists' association “Reveil”, one of them at the Kunsthaus Zürich
1955 Wiediker artist in the parish hall on the Bühl, Zurich 3
1958 Participation in an exhibition in favor of the Red Cross in the barracks on Gessnerallee, Zurich
1957 Beno Gallery, Zurich
1958 Galerie Zopfi, Schwanden GL
1959 Walcheturm Gallery, Zurich
1962 Municipal Art Chamber z.Strauhoff, (today Strauhof) Zurich
1974 Participation in the exhibition "Zurich Artists in the Züspa Halls"
1976 Exhibition in the BP staff restaurant in Zurich
1978 Exhibition in the Bongio, Coldrerio

literature

Web links

Fehr, Fredy ; in: Sikart
Website fredyfehr.ch

personal data
SURNAME	Fehr, Fredy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Fehr, Friedrich Gottfried (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss painter
DATE OF BIRTH	April 7, 1917
PLACE OF BIRTH	Zurich
DATE OF DEATH	May 13, 1979
Place of death	Zurich