Richard O. Wilhelm

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Richard Otfried Wilhelm (born February 7, 1932 in Bautzen ) is a German visual artist and glass designer.

As the founding initiator and head of an artists' collective for glass design and teaching, Wilhelm created the basic prerequisites for the independent development of architecture-related glass art in the GDR . He carried out his own work, particularly in the techniques of lead glazing, glass painting, grinding and sandblasting, glass application, concrete and layered glass technology. Among the works created for public buildings in the GDR , the "Glass Flower" designed together with Reginald Richter for the Palace of the Republic (1975/76) is probably the best known. According to the artist's intention, however, it represents a glass tree . The reinterpretation as a flower goes back to an utterance by Erich Honecker , which was then generally adopted. After 1989, Wilhelm primarily dealt with the restoration and redesign of lead glass windows in historic village churches and other listed buildings.

Life

Grew up in Bautzen in a traditional glazier family, Wilhelm completed an apprenticeship as a construction and art glazier after finishing school. After years of practical work, he studied artistic glass design in Magdeburg at the Technical School for Applied Arts (FAK) and, at the same time, passed the master's examination in glazing. In 1972, after studying externally at the Berlin Art School, he graduated as a qualified glass designer.

In 1954, together with the glass designers Reginald Richter and Oskar Hamann, he founded the collective of Magdeburg glass designers, which was renamed "Werkgenossenschaft Glasgestaltung Magdeburg" in 1956, expanded and, after the glass designers involved had become members of the Association of Visual Artists (VBK), from 1972 to In 2000 it traded as the "College of Visual Artists Glass Design Magdeburg". Wilhelm was elected chairman of the glass designers college from its inception until 1984. In 1984 he broke away from the association and has since worked freelance in his own studio. Being with 22 m. Length and 3 m. The largest work of art "Peace to our Earth" was commissioned by the Minister of State Security of the GDR Erich Mielke. The work of art weighs over 3000 kg and contains 25 kg of gold dust.

Richard Wilhelm received the GDR Art Prize (1972), a diploma for outstanding performance at the International Glass Art Competition in the Free State of Bavaria (1977) and the Goethe National Prize for Art and Literature (1983).

Since 1947 he has been a member of the LDPD / FDP . From 1960 to 1989 he was a member of the People's Chamber of the GDR in the LDPD faction.

Web links

Works (selection)

"Glass Flower" in the Palace of the Republic
  • "The sea and the waves of love" - ​​Staatliche Museen Berlin (1967)
  • "Burning the tree of life sprays" - Cemetery cemetery Dessau celebration hall (1968)
  • "Our galaxy" - glass partition in the telecafé of the Berlin TV tower (1969)
  • "Gutes Wasser - Gutes Leben" - two large-format, almost floor-to-ceiling glass designs (each about 2.50 meters high and 3 meters wide) in the stairwell on the first and second floors of the then Technical School for Water Management Magdeburg (1973) at Domplatz 6, since January 17, 1991 official seat of the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt (Ritz-Signum in the artwork lower right: Glasgestaltung Magdeburg R. Wilhelm 1973 )
  • "Interference II" - Veste Coburg Art Collection (1977)
  • "The Great Gate of Kiev" - State Art Collections Dresden (1984)
  • "Peace to our Earth" - Building of the State Security Normannenstrasse, House 18 3rd floor (lost 1992. Rediscovered in 2014 by Thilo Holzmann, art historian)
  • "Homage to the French Revolution of 1789" - Theodor Heuss Academy Gummersbach (1989)
  • "Burning bush and Petri fish haul" - Marienkirche Steutz (1995)
  • "Stefan George - Phases of the Poet's Life", three portraits, Bingen Memorial (1996)
  • "Currents - confident ..." - light ceiling in Hildegard-Forum Bingen (1998)
  • "Nature and Art" - entrance hall of the Leipzig-Halle Environmental Research Center, Magdeburg Institute (1999)
  • "Portrait of Prof. Dr. Erhard Hübener ", Merseburg Ständehaus (1993/2004)
  • "Between Heaven and Earth", Hospice of the Pfeiffer Foundations Magdeburg (2003)

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Individual evidence

  1. ^ Article in the Tagesspiegel from January 9, 2016
  2. ^ A Magdeburg in the Bautzen Museum , August 22, 2012
personal data
SURNAME Wilhelm, Richard O.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilhelm, Richard Otfried (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German visual artist, glass designer and politician (LDPD), MdV
DATE OF BIRTH February 7, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Bautzen