Page 20 - Studio International - July 1965

to nature, individualism to responsibility, nationalism to From all surrounding cities people came. The dam had
internationalism, internationalism to universalism broken. The way was opened for two progressive
observer to actor, onlooker to engage galleries (Alfred Schmela and Jean-Pierre Wilhelm)
In pursuit of all this then, Mack and Piene topped-off which opened the same year. And gradually the painters'
their art school with three years of philosophy at own styles started to take form. At the fourth Evening
Cologne University. They kept themselves by working Exhibition in September 1957 Piene showed so-called
in applied art and industrial design. They went on paint­ Rasterbilder, whose monochrome white surfaces with
ing and experimenting, 'regarding ourselves as artists tiny points articulated light. Success encouraged the
and nothing else'. In 1956-7 their studies finished. They production of a publication, Zero, with the seventh
had no programme. Their home was Dusseldorf; and exhibition (April 1958). Most of the articles concerned
painting there lay passive under the dead hand of the themselves with a new approach to colour. In this show.
Rheinische Sezession. The younger Gruppe 53, to quite unnoticed, was a certain Gunther Uecker. The
which they both belonged. made small effect. The eighth exhibition, 'Vibration' in October of 1958 was,
galleries concerned themselves with locally established in effect, the last. A line, if not a style was formed. with
Germans and with international names. How could they the help more especially of Oskar Holweck and of Almir
1 break through 7 And to what precisely 7 Mavignier. Its characteristics were vibrating surfaces,
Hans Haacke
Cube (Condensation) 1965 They had one valuable asset, Piene's big studio in the the use of light, implicit or explicit movement and space
Plexiglass & Water harbour qua ter of Dusseldorf, with Mack's smaller one seen as extension of the picture-plane. It was a cool
2 next door. In April 1957 they began a series of 'one­ style, without stifling geometry. Meanwhile in 1957 the
Hans Haacke evening exhibitions' there. They showed not mainly Schmela gallery had brought Yves Klein to Germany.
Liu/e Sail 1965
Chiffon. weights & ventilator their own work, but all the things of interest which He burst there like a bomb. His monochromes, his
3 could not be seen in the galleries. Unconsciously, the theories, his demonstrations, his personality had far
Gunther Uecker principle of inner and outer circle was established from more influence than they had had in France. The second
New York Citv 1965
Nail relief the start. Success was unexpected and sensational. contact came early in 1959 with Tinguely, imported too
4