Hans Gerber (sculptor)

Hans Gerber (born February 15, 1910 in Steffisburg , † March 14, 1978 in Buchillon ) was a Swiss sculptor , collagist and draftsman .

life and work

Hans Gerber completed the Kirchenfeldgymnasium in Bern and graduated in 1930. From 1930 to 1932 he began studying English at the Universities of Bern, Lausanne and Munich . Under the influence of Wilhelm Lehmbruck's art , he discovered his own artistic talent and entered the studio of the sculptor Hans Stangl in Munich.

In 1934 he settled in Ascona and created his first portraits and small sculptures. In 1934 he moved to Zurich, where he met the sculptor Hermann Haller . He became a member of the “Society of Swiss Painters, Sculptors and Architects” and took part in the “Young Switzerland” exhibitions at the Kunsthaus Zurich and “Young Bernese Artists” in the Kunsthalle Bern . The first personal exhibitions followed in the “Galerie Palette” in Zurich.

In 1950 he moved to Buchillon on Lake Geneva with his partner, the writer, watercolorist and draftsman, Hans Walter . Between 1950 and 1954 he turned away from figurative sculpture and from then on created pure sculptural form. This change was accompanied by a lively graphic work. From 1954 onwards, Hans Gerber found a form of artistic expression that he continued to develop in a variety of ways until his death: the abstract collage.

Hans Gerber regularly presented his works at group and solo exhibitions at home and abroad. He counted u. a. Gunter Böhmer , Tonio Ciolina, Rudolf de Crignis, Fernand Giauque, Walter Grab, Otto Lötscher, Hermann Plattner, Gottfried Tritten, Roman Tschabold and Jakob Stucki among his artist friends.

Estate and donations

• Larger groups of works from the posthumous work of Hans Gerber can be found in the Thun Art Museum , in the art collection of Villa Schüpbach in Steffisburg and in the " Hans Ulrich Schwaar Foundation " in Langnau i. E.
• The library of the Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK-ISEA) is in possession of the literature on his sculptural work, on his collages and on his drawings. The documentation department of SIK-ISEA also contains biographical materials on Hans Gerber, selected correspondence and documents on his exhibition activities.

literature

• Hans Gerber: Collages. With an accompanying text by Hans Curjel and a studio talk with Hans Gerber by Hans Walter. Aldus Manutius Verlag, Zurich / Stuttgart.
• Hans Gerber, Hans Walter (Ed.): The human being and his work. Benteli Verlag, Bern 1982.

Web links

• Gerber, Hans. In: Sikart
• Hans Gerber on artnet