Stefan Plenkers

Plenker’s Tower of Paintings – Torri di dipinti, 1986, Leonhardi Museum | © Leonhardi Museum / PR

The art historian Diether Schmidt once described Stefan Plenkers as the ‘leading figure of the young generation of Dresden printmakers and painters’. That was in 1980; in the spring of 2025, the artist would have turned 80. He will not live to see the retrospective in his honour, which is being held at the Leonhardi Museum to mark this occasion. Now, a few months after his death, our exhibition is intended to serve as a fitting and joyful tribute.

Stefan Plenkers drew his inspiration from the places he used, the places he travelled to, the places he liked: his studio, urban space, landscapes, harbours, beaches, pubs, the circus world. But he does not make it easy for the viewer: narrative elements are rare, instead the artist creates nested spaces that offer little security, in which plunging lines and seemingly chaotic structures mislead, jostle and bounce off the viewer's gaze. Plenkers obscures this view with inserted walls, such as deliberately placed curtains, balustrades, posts or half-open doors. The viewer is forced to find his own way through unknown terrain and is encouraged to surmise what is hidden behind the obstacles. Plenker's gesture is two-dimensional, the pictorial language is concise, interior and exterior spaces are sparse. It is not least the reduction from which the works from Plenker's early creative phase derive their intensity.

Stefan Plenkers and the Leonhardi Museum have a long history: his first solo exhibition, immediately after studying at the Dresden HfBK under Günter Horlbeck, Herbert Kunze and Gerhard Kettner, took place in our museum in 1973, followed by others in 1986 and 1996.

In the current exhibition we are showing 14 paintings from the years 1976 to 1988, »paintings about music« (ink drawings on scores by Carlo Inderhees), charcoal drawings and monotypes as well as etchings and lithographs (portfolio »Meer und Küste« from 1976 and the »Kneipenmappe« from 1979/80). The works come from Stefan Plenkers' studio as well as from the private collections of collectors from all over Germany. The film »Perlmuttlicht - Facets from the life of the Dresden painter Stefan Plenkers« by Dieter Berger and Steffen F. Schmidt will also be shown.

(André Hennig)

Stefan Plenkers drew his inspiration from the places he used, travelled to and loved: his studio, urban spaces, landscapes, harbours, beaches, pubs and the world of the circus. Yet he does not make it easy for the viewer: narrative elements are scarce; instead, the artist creates nested spaces that offer little sense of security, in which converging lines and seemingly chaotic structures mislead the eye, causing it to stumble and bounce away. Plenkers obstructs this view with inserted walls, such as deliberately placed curtains, balustrades, posts or half-open doors. The viewer is compelled to find their own way through unfamiliar terrain and is encouraged to speculate on what lies hidden behind the obstacles. Plenker’s approach is two-dimensional, the visual language is pared down, and both interior and exterior spaces are sparse. It is not least this reduction that lends the works from Plenker’s early creative phase their intensity.

Stefan Plenkers and the Leonhardi Museum share a long history: His first solo exhibition, held here in 1973 immediately after he completed his studies at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (HfBK) under Günter Horlbeck, Herbert Kunze and Gerhard Kettner, was followed by further exhibitions in 1986 and 1996.

In the current exhibition, we are showing 14 paintings from the years 1976 to 1988, ‘Paintings Inspired by Music’ (ink drawings over scores by Carlo Inderhees), charcoal drawings and monotypes, as well as etchings and lithographs (the ‘Sea and Coast’ portfolio from 1976 and the ‘Pub Portfolio’ from 1979/80). The works come from Stefan Plenkers’ studio and from the private collections of collectors throughout Germany. Also on show is the film ‘Perlmuttlicht – Facets from the Life of the Dresden Painter Stefan Plenkers’ by Dieter Berger and Steffen F. Schmidt.

(André Hennig)

Prof. Matthias Flügge spoke at the opening on Friday, March 14, 2025.

Dietmar Diesner - Free Sounds for Stefan played.

Biographical details

Born in 1945 in Ebern near Bamberg; grew up in Munich and Görlitz
1963–66: Apprenticeship as a typesetter in Görlitz; worked at the HfBK Leipzig
1967–72: Studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (HfBK) under H. Kunze, G. Kettner and G. Horlbeck
1975: Study trips to Central Asia
1980–82: Master’s student under Prof. G. Kettner
Died in 2024 in Kreischa near Dresden

Works in public collections include:

Lindenau Museum, Altenburg; Kunstforum Berliner Volksbank Foundation, Berlin; Chemnitz Municipal Art Collections; Brandenburg Art Collections, Cottbus; Gallery of New Masters, Dresden; Dresden Cabinet of Engravings; Dresden Museum of City History, Angermuseum, Erfurt, Görlitz Museum of Cultural History, Museum of Fine Arts, Leipzig, British Museum, London, Neubrandenburg Art Collections, Ludwig Collection, Oberhausen, Oslo Art Museum, Vatican, Rome, Kunsthalle Schweinfurt, Museum of Fine Arts, Sofia, Hermitage, Saint Petersburg, Polish National Museum, Szczecin

Generated by AI: The image shows an exhibition space in a gallery, with several abstract paintings hanging on the walls. In the centre of the room is a simple seat.

Stefan Plenkers

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Stefan Plenkers

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Exhibition overview