Rudolf Kreuzer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rudolf Kreuzer (born May 4, 1928 in Innsbruck ; † July 24, 2010 in Innsbruck) was an Austrian painter, graphic artist, set designer, mosaicist, sculptor and (co-) author and illustrator of several books.

life and work

Rudolf Kreuzer was born in Innsbruck in 1928. He spent the first six years of his life as a foster child on a mountain farm in the Sellraintal , as his parents both had to work. He would later call this time one of the happiest of his life. In 1942 he began an apprenticeship in the Tyrolean glass painting and mosaic workshop , which was interrupted in 1944 when he was drafted into military service. After the war, he continued his studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg (with architect Heinz Ludwig) and at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (set design with Emil Pirchan ) and subsequently worked as a freelance artist. From 1960 to 1962 he was a guest set designer at the Tiroler Landestheater .

From 1962 to 1966 Rudolf Kreuzer undertook numerous study trips to North and Central Africa (including Tunisia , Gabon , Nigeria , Chad , Cameroon , Ivory Coast , Senegal ). He visited Albert Schweitzer twice for several weeks in the jungle hospital in Lambarene . Portraits of Albert Schweitzer and African landscapes were created, which found great sales after Kreuzer's return to Europe. His best-known work in public space is "The Bull" from 1964, a monumental mosaic on the facade of Rauchfutter in Hall in Tirol . In 1968 he spent several years in Israel , where he lived in a kibbutz and taught at the Art School of Galilee in Tel Chai . Here he created his main graphic work in 1968, the “Israel Cycle”. These sheets “are the testimony of a radical simplification and deepening; an essentialization of the shape. Man has disappeared from these leaves; in his place are remains and dwelling and life; Dunes, distant huts; Desert sun and used up; Bones and skeletons. "

After his return from Israel, Kreuzer completely turned away from his own artistic work and began teaching in Innsbruck in the early 1970s, which he had to quit after a few years due to illness. As a result he dealt with architecture and natural stone mosaics and worked on several books.

Rudolf Kreuzer's work is characterized by its versatility, both in the choice of topics and the working methods. He created portraits, landscapes, still lifes, nudes, pieces of flowers, mosaics and mastered a wide variety of drawing and painting techniques, including a specific wax technique he developed himself. In the printing process, Rudolf Kreuzer distinguished himself particularly in etching and linocut. His mosaics stand out both artistically and technically.

Awards

  • 1955: First prize from the city of Innsbruck for painting
  • 1960: Winner of a competition to design a mosaic column for the counter hall of the Sparkasse Innsbruck, carried out in the same year.

Exhibitions (selection)

  • 1961: Graphic exhibition at the Art History Institute of the University of Innsbruck
  • 1961: Exhibition in the Tyrolean Art Pavilion of the Tyrolean Artists in Innsbruck's Hofgarten
  • 1962: Exhibition "Africa 62 - Journey to Albert Schweitzer", Innsbruck
  • 1963: Solo exhibition "Rudolf Kreuzer - watercolors, ink drawings, wax pictures, graphics", Berlin Art Cabinet Karl Berthold, Berlin
  • 1963: Collective exhibition Goldschmidt-Kokoschka-Kreuzer-Weiler-Bauerstein-Hochschwarzer-Baur-Stieber-Pol, Eremitage Gallery , Schwaz
  • 1963: Solo exhibition at the Hermitage Gallery, Schwaz
  • 1964: "Contemporary Tyrolean art from the property of the Raiffeisen-Zentralkasse Tirol", gallery in the Taxispalais, Innsbruck
  • 1968: Solo exhibition “Drawings of Israel by Rudolf Kreuzer”, Nora Art Gallery, Jerusalem
  • 1968: Solo exhibition “Rudolf Kreuzer - Drawings from Israel”, Hermitage Gallery, Schwaz, and Unterberger art dealer, Innsbruck

Works (selection)

  • Zentrum (Colored Fantasy) , 1959, oil on canvas, 79.7 × 100.2 cm; Innsbruck, Regional Administrative Court, Michael-Gaismairstr. 1
  • Portrait of Rector Hans Kinzl , 1959–1960, oil on canvas, 110.8 × 95.2 cm (frame size); Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck
  • Mosaic column, 1960, counter hall of the Sparkasse Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Sparkassenplatz 2
  • Mosaics on the facade of the Anton Kogler handicraft shop, after 1960, Innsbruck, Museumstrasse 6
  • Portrait of Anna Maria Achenrainer , 1961, egg tempera on canvas, 99.8 × 79.8 cm; Innsbruck, Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum
  • Portrait of Univ. Prof. Hermann Wopfner , 1961, egg tempera on oil glaze on canvas, 93 × 89 cm; Innsbruck, Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum
  • Daniel Sailer's bronze mask, 1962, Daniel Sailer School, Innsbruck, Sieberer Straße 9
  • Sumpf, 1962, wax technique on paper, 62.9 × 78.6 cm; Innsbruck, Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum
  • Untitled (Swamp) , 1962, wax technique on paper, 50 × 70 cm; Innsbruck, Raiffeisen-Landesbank Tirol Collection
  • Portrait of Albert Schweitzer , 1962, linocut, 62.5 × 48.9 cm; Private collection
  • The bull, mosaic on the outer wall of the Rauchfutter company building, 1964, Hall in Tirol, Innsbrucker Straße 81
  • Fort Lamy , Chad, 1966, wax technique on canvas, 50 × 60 cm; Private collection
  • Israel, 1968, portfolio with 12 screen prints, each 50 × 70 cm, edition 198, Jerusalem, Israel Museum

literature

  • Elisabeth Aufheimer: The bull, Rudolf Kreuzer's mosaic on the Rauchfutter company building in Hall in Tirol. Innsbruck 2015.
  • Christoph Bertsch, Rosanna Dematté, Claudia Mark: Art | Collection | University. Art in Tyrol after 1945. Innsbruck / Vienna 2018, pp. 490–493.
  • Erich Egg: Art in Tyrol. Painting and handicrafts. Innsbruck / Vienna / Munich 1972, p. 282.
  • Eva Kreuzer-Eccel: Awakening, painting and graphics in north-east South Tyrol after 1945. Bozen 1982, p. 56, 311.
  • Heinz Mackowitz: Kreuzer's screen prints: artistic deepening noticeable. In: Tyrolean daily newspaper. 246, 1968.
  • Michael E. Sallinger: On stubbornness in art, obituary for Rudolf Kreuzer (1928-2010). In: The Sciliar. Volume 84, 2010, pp. 67-73.
  • Ingo Schönpflug, Andreas Rauchegger: Art Collection TILAK 2015. Innsbruck 2015, p. 313.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Elisabeth Aufheimer: The bull, Rudolf Kreuzer's mosaic on the company building of Rauchfutter in Hall in Tirol. Innsbruck 2015.
  2. ↑ Michael E. Sallinger: On stubbornness in art, obituary for Rudolf Kreuzer (1928-2010). In: The Sciliar. Volume 84, 2010, pp. 67-73, 72.
  3. ^ Prize of the state capital Innsbruck for artistic creation , PDF, page 1
personal data
SURNAME Kreuzer, Rudolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian painter, graphic artist, set designer, mosaicist, sculptor and (co-) author and illustrator of several books
DATE OF BIRTH May 4, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH innsbruck
DATE OF DEATH July 24, 2010
Place of death innsbruck