Helmut Drexler
Helmut Drexler (born August 8, 1927 in Selb ; † September 29, 2016 in Rehau ) was a German porcelain painter and designer who developed new, unique decorating techniques.
Education and early years of work
Helmut Drexler had early contact with porcelain through his father, a porcelain painter at Rosenthal AG in Selb. Because of his very good academic performance, he was selected as a teacher for boarding school in 1942. But because he refused to join the Hitler Youth, he had to stay in elementary school. His father gave him an apprenticeship as a porcelain painter at Rosenthal in Selb. At the age of 17 he was drafted into military service on the Eastern Front. He was first captured by Russia and then had to work for months in Polish captivity in the mine near Katowice . After his release he came back to Selb sick. In 1949 he was employed by the Rosenthal company as a porcelain painter. At first he didn't like painting on porcelain because he was tired of sitting in a rigid posture. With discipline, however, he gradually developed great skills. Soon he began experimenting with paints and other materials on porcelain in his spare time. In 1954 he married his wife Käthe, they had no children.
Professional career
In 1957 Helmut Drexler was appointed porcelain painter by Rosenthal AG. In 1964 the company promoted him to head foreman. From 1970 until he retired in 1990, he was decor manager and designer in the company himself. In this position he was responsible for the painting, printing, melting, etching, spraying, wiping and white storage departments.
A number of unique decors emerged from his experiments, which in the 1970s and 1980s had a major impact on the appearance of Rosenthal products. One of his early successes is the “Goldfeuer” decor that Rosenthal presented at the 8th Artists' Days in 1985. It was a characteristic part of the crumpled bag vases by the Finnish artist Tapio Wirkkala . The decor is created by the interaction of gold and marbling lacquer, whereby Helmut Drexler has perfected and developed a well-known technique. For this decor, the glaze is first etched onto the porcelain. This is followed by a flat, differently structured gold application. In a further step, the gold is coated with a marbling varnish. When fired, it causes the gold to be burned into the substrate in different thicknesses. Where the gold is thinner, the decor appears purple, in other places it contracts to form strong gold veins. This effect can be specifically controlled through precise knowledge of the firing processes. Each decor is unique, because the iridescent surface is always different.
Encouraged by the great success of “Goldfeuer”, Helmut Drexler developed further unique decors for Rosenthal AG, such as “Karat”, “Lamina green”, “Lamina red”, “Goldmosaik”, “Platinnebel” and “Goldstrand”. Other artists working for Rosenthal also benefited from his experience. He played a key role in implementing Bjørn Wiinblad's creative idea for the “Scheherezade” décor. Many artists appreciated working with him and his profound knowledge of materials. The expertise behind Helmut Drexler's decors is also demonstrated by the fact that no one has ever managed to copy them.
Helmut Drexler was also a master at classic porcelain painting. From 1974 he designed the annual Christmas plates of the Rosenthal Classic Rose Collection with views of famous buildings in underglaze painting. The templates were photographs, old prints and historical views.
His work combines manual skill with technical experiments and innovations. Classical figurative motifs in porcelain painting, such as flowers or figures, increasingly gave way to abstract motifs in his work, which emphasized the color design and play of shapes he developed.
Own studio
After retiring in 1990, Helmut Drexler continued to work in his own studio, which the porcelain museum in Selb-Plößberg made available to him. There he experimented and designed numerous exhibits, exclusively on porcelain from Rosenthal. Following the example of competitive athletes, he practiced drawing every day until shortly before his death at the age of 89 in order to keep a steady hand, because when painting porcelain, the first line has to fit, just like when painting in watercolors. Anyone who writes on the porous surface can throw away the plate or bowl. An order from Japan showed what reputation Helmut Drexler enjoyed. The Takashimaya company from Tokyo and the imperial city of Nara asked him for courses in porcelain painting. For this he stayed in Japan for some time.
free art
In later years Helmut Drexler turned to free art. He created sculptures, collages and three-dimensional sculptural works. He used large porcelain plates and often thin plates of aluminum oxide, such as those used in technical ceramics, to support his decorations. Up to five fires were required to combine decorative materials that cannot actually be combined with one another in one piece.
Work exhibition and estate
Helmut Drexler's works are mainly in the State Museum for Porcelain in Selb-Plößberg and Hohenberg an der Eger , the Porzellanikon . The museum dedicates two permanent exhibitions to him: “Highlights” and “White Oasis”. Other important museums also have works by him. His works have been shown in several solo exhibitions. Together with his wife Käthe he founded the Helmut and Käthe Drexler Foundation. The couple also bequeathed their estate to them. The proceeds are intended to promote porcelain art.
Honors
Helmut Drexler has received several awards for his life's work. He was the holder of the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany , the Medal of Honor of the district of Wunsiedel, the Medal of Merit of the City of Selb and the Golden Ring of Honor of the City of Selb. In 2017 his hometown Selb honored him by renaming the street where he was born to Helmut-Drexler-Straße.
literature
- Susanne Träger: Glanzlichter - porcelain painting by Helmut Drexler (exhibition catalog). In: Writings of the German Porcelain Museum , Volume 42.Selb 1995.
- Daniela Mühlbauer: Fragile for eternity , Frankenpost -Artkel from August 27, 2007
- Peter Schmitt: Highlights from fragile goods , Süddeutsche Zeitung of September 12, 2007
- Elfriede Schneider: Mourning for Helmut Drexler , Frankenpost article from October 8, 2016
- Silvia Glaser: designer, researcher and teacher , Frankenpost article from August 5, 2017
Web links
- Permanent collection White Oasis & Highlights on the official website of the Porcelain Icon
Individual evidence
- ↑ Catalog, p. 10
- ^ Obituary from October 2016 in the Frankenpost
- ↑ Catalog, pp. 74f.
- ↑ Catalog, p. 76
- ^ Article Süddeutsche Zeitung and article Silvia Glaser, Frankenpost
- ↑ Article Silvia Glaser, Frankenpost
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Drexler, Helmut |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German porcelain painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 8, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Same |
| DATE OF DEATH | 29th September 2016 |
| Place of death | Rehau |