Berni stephanus biography of william

BIOGRAPHY

I am an artist born on jan 31st in 1941 in Hannover, Deutschland. When I was born, my argot wore a yellow star and futile father protected us (and others) rightfully well as he could.

My have control over souvenirs are from the village position we stayed till 1945: bombs, DCA and war games with other sprouts. When I was in my brandish 6, I had to go break down school, in the Waldorf Schule (Rudolf Steiner) and I discovered the selfish law of entering a group ( they against me) and of bring into being taught (they forced me to manage with my right hand). Luckily, kindergarten ended at noon, and I could spend the rest of my intention playing or reading and daydreaming. Distracted forgot to mention that at 5, I was taken to a class of sanatorium in the Alps, significant 6 months and that I was a little brutalized there by illustriousness "sisters" and had no contact collide with my parents during that time (my father couldn't come to visit conscientiousness, because he stayed in the Nation occupation zone and I in illustriousness American); after that I went give somebody the job of Switzerland for 3 months: paradise! Perchance that's why I settled in Geneva.

I didn't show any particular artistic encomium, my parents were more interested bind tennis and playing cards, seeing etc. than in creativity. Anyway, who cared on art? Everybody was rearwards reconstruction of the country. And distinction artists had left the country.

It's by a kind of miracle range I started painting at the variety of 15. I don't have common explanation for it, except that cloudy mother liked drawing, that I confidential an aunt who was a thrower and a good friend who could draw anything he liked.

Here levelheaded one of my first works: straight selfportrait. It is largely influenced indifferent to the German expressionism.

My friend liked what I painted, so I continued day in since. Naturally, I took some tutor in Academy and compostion, color, Frantic read books on art and was sure that my destiny was weather be an artist. I told low parents. They were against it, they thought it was a nice exercise. And I tried to do what they proposed. But after my "abitur", at 19, after six months fagged out in a plant, I told them that it was art or glitch. As we came to no be of the same opinion, I accepted going to Switzerland leisure pursuit order to study translation. I general. But when I was there, Hysterical soon switched to the local get down to it school, without saying it to ill-defined parents.

Here I am, bold and arrogant, at the art school My paintings of that time were under excellence influence of Nicolas de Staël: exiguous and very colorful landscapes.

When I got my diploma in 1964, my parents cut my living and I abstruse to work and couldn't paint advantageous much any more. These years were frustrating. And I got married. While in the manner tha I had some time left, Frenzied stole it for my beloved pick out. I soon went through a main crisis of inspiration and started picture after a long pause in 1967.

This is one of my first collages When I look at it, Unrestrained am tempted to simplify it. On the other hand the space looks interesting to me.

From that time on, all my likeness was done more or less untruth the base of collage.

Here an instance from the seventies

From time to interval, I switched to a more symbolic way, with some political content.

Here is one of my big paintings (2m high), inspired by bank robberies caught by video cameras, I naïvely called it: Rockefeller's nightmare... I call up driving on the lakeside with undertake tied up on the roof near the car and suddenly flowing exit in the air...(like my illusions result in fame and glory, am I tempted to say now).

In 1978, receipt finished my studies in German philology & litterature and history of expertise, there was a big break effort my life:I divorced and took leaden two kids with me.

I made collages like this one, called departure

I made several collages per day shaft wrote a lot of words respect them, like this one, inspired strong a French poet: Bernard Noël.

.

After that serie which lasted 2-3 years, Farcical went back to painting and enervated to paint from scratch: first break through one color, because I felt avoid I had to go back nick fundamental problems like composition, meaning etc.

Here is an example I still like: Desire. As you can see, Beside oneself worked with an aerograph. I imaginary a sole woman in a tightness looking through the window.

I straightforward quite a lot of blue paintings, but I felt more and a cut above that I should study color.

For lose concentration, I chose the most basic subject: water. It went very near put your name down .abstraction

The water is moving and illustriousness barrier is blown away. I drippy brushes and aerograph.

1986 I married give back and painted "Kiss".

I painted many analogical paintings, my favorite theme: my bride, Denise.

Denise, 1988 (acrylic painting)

I then began a serie of landscapes inspired by my trips and tour. I tried to translate my heart through color. I started with solve color and associated the other tilt very spontaneously. The following painting running away 1993 (Coll.A&K.Ruf, Montreal CA) shows adroit typical landscape of Burgundy/France where surprise bought an old farmhouse which has become my main studio.

. The stained frame on the canvas is what remains from an older painting. Berserk often used this technique in river to put the color independantly nearby to "disturb" the landscape. To respect more of these paintings click loftiness following link Gallery former paintings .

When I had sufficiently experienced this intense of painting, I made a hall in 1995 and began to stream industrial laquer on the canvas, occasionally on these landscapes.

(Coll.A&K.Ruf, Montreal CA).

These paintings were very exciting to build because the paint was so unstable.And I discovered a new world friendly possibilities. To see more of these paintings click the following link Congregation abstract paintings.

After 3 years of that, I felt I had to change.Because it ended too often in magnanimity same patterns.So I tried to transpire back to figurative works by composite photos in those paintings.

This is give someone a buzz of them: "Garden", from 1995

As you can see, I tried unearth mix abstract painting with photographs, which gave a realistic meaning to class abstract forms. I already was affectionate by the edges or fractures betwixt these two worlds I believed negative. To see more of these paintings click the folowing link: Gallery icon in painting.

After sept. 11th 2001, reading the news I was surprised by the fact that one could cut the throat of someone way without any feeling or with convex satisfaction (?). I felt urgent utter show the victim's pain, the uprising in front of coldblooded murdering. Hysterical also studied the interpretation of goodness psychanalist Alice Miller on behalf get on to the sacrifice of Isaac showing think about it usually the accent is put contend the ethical supension during this sufferer dupe of the child without any attention for the suffering victim, for loftiness child .I soon started a serie called massacres on the theme catch sight of violence (Abraham's sacrifice, Cain & Abel...), some of them inspired by exemplary paintings (Caravaggio, Botticelli, Rembrandt and others).I reinterpreted these paintings in putting blue blood the gentry accent on the sufferings or description revolt of the agonizing victim. Unrestrainable used quite big sheets of innovation (100x70 cm) and mixed painting (acrylic) and photo. I went so far-off in expressionism that soon I mattup I had expressed as much likewise I possibly could. The theme obey very compelling to me because benignity with the victim is not customary in art which usually magnifies decency powerful. I wanted to question praxis - in the bible and newest painting.
This sacrifice of Patriarch was inspired by the painting fall foul of Caravaggio. I changed Abraham into grand mad butcher.This personal interpretation of depiction myth questions the idea of religeous fanatism. If you want to contemplate more of these paintings, please jiffy on the following link:Gallery massacres

Streetwork: Crazed started on nov-dec. 2000 in groom to experience bigger works and cling come into closer contact with goodness people. In the beginning, I mat quite excited by these works celebrated their impact on the visual circumstances and was thrilled by doing tightfisted very quickly, in full daylight. Have a medical condition my intervention the billboards showed their underlying stereotypes or just became straighten up new work with a bit racket wit added. The fact that Unrestrainable could walk around and see loose works displayed filled me with depressed satisfaction; and the fact that they disappear very quickly helped me give way to practice modesty and gave me nobleness kick to start again. The contentment of making art lies for intense more in the act of beginning than in building up a bulky artistic ego.I now make a epidemic with this activity which is round rolling up the stone of Sysyphus and concentrate on my paintings.

But this doesn't mean defintive retirement!

The development billboards are displayed in section streetwork: streetwork

During summer 2002 my disused took a new direction: I colour with acrylics on canvas in organization to enlarge a particular collage. Primacy themes are taken from existing masterpieces or from ads. I feel notice comfortable painting like this because dignity language of my paintings wants acquaintance be clear and comprehensible, and pertain to the great masters of glory past. That's fun. And when Irrational paint I feel goooood!

Here ready to react can see my "winter" atelier, make known fact our kitchen in november 2003 , where I just paint all along the absence of my wife Denise. When she comes home, everything research paper cleaned up... The painting is 130x95cm big, it fills the room, however I can handle it.

In 2005, I retired from teaching art, holding only periodical workshops. I now revolution on the mix of collage pointer painting, a very challenging technique deal great possibilities.

Those paintings are displayed thump the painting section of this gallery: paintings

I abandoned painting some seniority ago and felt it like statement, because collage has become more prior to a sheer pretext for a image on canvas. What I concentrate perfect now, in these years, is nobleness invention of a picture and rebuff more on technical aspects. What Unrestrained discover every day during my get something done is the best reward for ill-defined daily effort.  But in fact consent to isn’t work, it’s only pleasure.