The Dresden painter and draughtsman Wilhelm Müller (1928 – 1999) was one of the few artists in the GDR to work concretely. As the only student of Herman Glöckner, he devoted himself to non-objective compositional studies in »Constructive Exercises«, which were continually expanded in his work as a kind of foundation. In a dialectical counterplay to the purity of the construction, expressive-gestural works present the examination of informal painting, which also reflect his affinity for the accidental and spontaneous.
An exhibition and catalog will pay tribute to Müller's diverse oeuvre.
Biographical details
- Born in Harzgerode in 1928
- 1952 Began to explore painting, printmaking and drawing (abstract and from life)
- 1955–1979 Practised as a dentist
- 1964–1966 Studied under Hermann Glöckner; explored informal painting; worked on abstract compositional studies and action painting
- 1965–1985 Development of the ‘Constructive Exercise’
- 1965 Development of the colour-field panels
- 1978 Commencement of the ‘Spiel mit Silberstift’ series
- 1980 Began working as a freelance artist in Dresden
- 1980–1989 Research assistant at the State Museum of Ethnology, Dresden; building up a collection of Islamic peasant and nomadic carpets
- 1984–1986 Work on the series ‘Japanese Circus’
- 1990 Commencement of work on the series ‘Variations on a Theme by Otto Freundlich’
- 1995 Expansion of the ‘Constructive Exercise’
- 1999 Died in Dresden
Works in public collections include:
Lindenau Museum, Altenburg; National Gallery, Berlin; Dresden State Art Collections; Neues Museum, Nuremberg; State Gallery, Stuttgart; National Gallery of Art, Washington
Catalogue
A catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition.