Franz Gertsch in his studio, freeze frame from the film «Giving Time to Time. Franz Gertsch» (2023, director: Dana Maeder, 52 min., German with English or French subtitles)
© Museum Franz Gertsch
Franz Gertsch
Giving Time to Time
25.03.2023 – 03.09.2023
We are transforming our Room 5 into a cinema: here you will experience the world premiere of the new film about the late work of our artist - “Der Zeit die Zeit geben. Franz Gertsch (Giving Time to Time. Franz Gertsch)”. In the extension building you can see works by Franz Gertsch - here, of course, the Four Seasons cycle is on display and we continue to show the new works on the theme of "Meer (Sea)" from 2021/22.
Film screenings Tuesday to Sunday at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m.
During this exhibition period, the annex is reserved for Franz Gertsch’s work. We have transformed our Room 5 into a cinema: Here you can experience the world premiere of the new documentary on the artist’s late work – “Der Zeit die Zeit geben. Franz Gertsch (Giving Time to Time. Franz Gertsch)”. The Czech-Swiss director and scriptwriter, Dana Maeder and her team accompanied Franz Gertsch, his wife Maria Gertsch-Meer, and the exhibitions at our museum from 2019 to 2021. The result is an atmospherically dense film which not only allows his companions to be heard, but also provides a perceptive portrait of his studio, his paintings and woodcuts, and above all, of the protagonists Franz and Maria Gertsch. The 52-minute film is also available at the museum shop in German (and with English or French subtitles).
The second room is dedicated to the subject “Meer (Sea)”. Drawing on photographs he took in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (F) in the 1970s, Franz Gertsch dedicated further paintings and woodcuts to this subject from 2013 onwards. The woodcut “Meer (Sea)” and the painting “Meer II (Sea II)” have been on display for the first time since September 2022. The exploration of the churning sea after a heavy morning storm is based on Franz Gertsch’s earlier works on Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the South of France. The artist created “Meer II (Sea II)” (2021/22) shortly after the paintings of the Blue Phase. Once again, he worked with genuine ultramarine, but also used blue and grey watercolour pencils and the warm white of the unprimed cotton as stylistic elements. Shortly beforehand, Gertsch dedicated a woodcut to the same subject. ”Meer (Sea)“ (2020/21) is on display in four colour variations.
A third exhibition room is dedicated to the Four Seasons group from the Dr h.c. Willy Michel Collection which was designed specifically to showcase these works and their fascinating effects in a permanent presentation. In 2007 the then 77-year-old Franz Gertsch started working on the Four Seasons cycle – knowing full well that he would need about a year for each painting. In early 2011 he completed his masterly Seasons cycle with the painting “Frühling (Spring)”. Without doubt the cycle can be regarded as the pinnacle of the artist’s late work.
The exhibition was curated by Anna Wesle.
During this exhibition period, the annex is reserved for Franz Gertsch’s work. We have transformed our Room 5 into a cinema: Here you can experience the world premiere of the new documentary on the artist’s late work – “Der Zeit die Zeit geben. Franz Gertsch (Giving Time to Time. Franz Gertsch)”. The Czech-Swiss director and scriptwriter, Dana Maeder and her team accompanied Franz Gertsch, his wife Maria Gertsch-Meer, and the exhibitions at our museum from 2019 to 2021. The result is an atmospherically dense film which not only allows his companions to be heard, but also provides a perceptive portrait of his studio, his paintings and woodcuts, and above all, of the protagonists Franz and Maria Gertsch. The 52-minute film is also available at the museum shop in German (and with English or French subtitles).
The second room is dedicated to the subject “Meer (Sea)”. Drawing on photographs he took in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (F) in the 1970s, Franz Gertsch dedicated further paintings and woodcuts to this subject from 2013 onwards. The woodcut “Meer (Sea)” and the painting “Meer II (Sea II)” have been on display for the first time since September 2022. The exploration of the churning sea after a heavy morning storm is based on Franz Gertsch’s earlier works on Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the South of France. The artist created “Meer II (Sea II)” (2021/22) shortly after the paintings of the Blue Phase. Once again, he worked with genuine ultramarine, but also used blue and grey watercolour pencils and the warm white of the unprimed cotton as stylistic elements. Shortly beforehand, Gertsch dedicated a woodcut to the same subject. ”Meer (Sea)“ (2020/21) is on display in four colour variations.
A third exhibition room is dedicated to the Four Seasons group from the Dr h.c. Willy Michel Collection which was designed specifically to showcase these works and their fascinating effects in a permanent presentation. In 2007 the then 77-year-old Franz Gertsch started working on the Four Seasons cycle – knowing full well that he would need about a year for each painting. In early 2011 he completed his masterly Seasons cycle with the painting “Frühling (Spring)”. Without doubt the cycle can be regarded as the pinnacle of the artist’s late work.
The exhibition was curated by Anna Wesle.
Abbildungen / Pictures
