The Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka (1886&;1980) achieved global fame with his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. In this first English-language biography, Rüdiger Görner depicts the artist in all his fascinating and contradictory complexity. He traces Kokoschka&;s path from bête noire of the bourgeoisie and &;hunger artist&; who had to flee the Nazis to a wealthy and cosmopolitan political and critical artist who played a significant role in shaping the European art scene of the twentieth century and whose relevance is undiminished to this day.
In Kokoschka: A Life in Art, Görner emphasizes the artist&;s versatility. Kokoschka, although best known for his expressionistic portraits and landscapes, was more than a mere visual artist: his achievements as a playwright, essayist, and poet bear witness to a remarkable literary talent. Music, too, played a central role in his work, and a passion for teaching led him to establish in 1953 the School of Seeing, an unconventional art school intended to revive humanist ideals in the horrific aftermath of war. This biography shows brilliantly how all the pieces of Kokoschka&;s disparate interests and achievements cohered in the richly creative life of a singular artist.
Arvustused
[ A] rich literary study of a major cultural figure -- Art History Rüdiger Görner is a thorough expert in all things Kokoschka, and his work is entertaining as it is knowledgeable. -- New Art Examiner Kokoschka was a leading figure in the Central European expressionist movement. . . . Grner presents a serviceable narrative that captures the inner tension, excitement and drama of Kokoschkas career. -- Choice
Muu info
This is the first biography of Kokoschka to be published in English for over 30 years. Oskar Kokoschka is recognised as one of the greatest Austrian painters of all time. 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the artist's death. He lived in London, Cornwall and Scotland during and after the Second World War. His most important paintings are on display at Tate Britain.
Preface to the Paperback Edition // xi
Preface to the English Edition // xiii
Foundations, or the Journey to an Achievement of the Century // 1
1: The Journey // 11
2: Determination and Confusion // 30
3: Wartime Art // 67
4: Pre-Schooling Vision // 101
5: Exile in England // 162
6: The Portrait as a Form of Representation // 195
7: Portrait of the Older Artist as Educator, or Schools of Seeing // 238
Notes // 307
Bibliography // 334
Acknowledgements: A Word of Thanks // 351
Rüdiger Görner was professor of German with comparative literature at Queen Mary University of London. The founder of the Ingeborg Bachmann Centre for Austrian Literature and the founding director of the Centre for Anglo-German Cultural Relations, his books include biographies of Rainer Maria Rilke, Georg Trakl and Stefan Zweig.
