On Friday, November 24, the members of the DASMAXIMUM Traunreut e.V. circle of friends and supporters were invited to visit an exhibition in Munich. This time, the focus was on Willi Geiger's flower paintings, which were shown in the premises of Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe Privatbank in Munich as part of the exhibition "Willi Geiger - Blumenbilder".
Fig.: Member of the Freundeskreis in the exhibition "Willi Geiger's Flower Paintings" at the HAL-Privatbank in Munich, (c) VG Bild-Kunst, 2023, Bonn. Photo: DASMAXIMUM
The artist Willi Geiger was born near Landshut in 1878. He originally became known for his graphic works before his art was classified as "degenerate" by the National Socialists. He spent the war overseas and returned to the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich as a professor in 1946. The exhibition presented his late work, which moves charmingly between realistic bouquets of flowers and abstract forms. A theme that preoccupied many artists of the 1960s.
The paintings on display in the premises of HAL-Privatbank offer a fascinating insight into Geiger's artistic work and his exploration of form and abstraction. From lush bouquets of flowers to abstract elements, the works show the versatility of this artist.
We were accompanied through the exhibition by José Hazañas (board member of the Freundeskreis and director of HAL Privatbank), as well as Julia Geiger (art historian and head of the Geiger Archive), who, as Willi Geiger's great-granddaughter, was able to enrich the tour on a personal as well as a professional level. Gingerbread and a glass of sparkling wine also ensured a relaxed and cozy atmosphere.
Two years ago, the circle of friends had already visited the "Bax" artists' house in Übersee together with Julia Geiger, where works by her grandfather and Willi Geiger's son Rupprecht Geiger were on display. Rupprecht, active as an artist in the 1950s, worked with fluorescent pigments, which expanded his father's color palette and led to vivid color-form compositions. These influences are clearly noticeable in Willi Geiger's late work. The result of these two excursions by the circle of friends was a great whole that the participants will remember for a long time to come.
Fig.: Julia Geiger in the exhibition "Willi Geiger's Flower Paintings" at the HAL-Privatbank in Munich, (c) VG Bild-Kunst, 2023, Bonn. Photo: DASMAXIMUM
Fig.: Julia Geiger with members of the Freundeskreis in the exhibition "Willi Geiger's Flower Paintings" at the HAL-Privatbank in Munich, (c) VG Bild-Kunst, 2023, Bonn. Photo: DASMAXIMUM
Fig.: Friends' excursion 2021 to the Geiger artists' house "Bax" in Übersee am Chiemsee, exhibition of works by Rupprecht Geiger (c) VG Bild-Kunst, 2023, Bonn. Photo: DASMAXIMUM
DASMAXIMUM is now in hibernation, and so are the Friends events. However, the coming museum season already awaits us with exciting new events. The members of the Circle of Friends can also look forward to visits to exhibitions and studios in the coming year.
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