Professor Markus Lüpertz and Birgit Sewekow in 2004 in Bad Reichenhall: the painting academy was very inspiring and successful.
Bad Reichenhall/Berlin (bpb) Markus Lüpertz has had in the 2004 summer academy in Bad Reichenhall an enchanted group of students. The "students" were exclusively artists, who wanted to deeped their knowledge of painting nude models. One of the successful participants was the painter Birgit Sewekow, whom earlier the European Art Foundation (Berlin) devoted an annual exhibition as being a representative of the contemporary "New School".
The students of Professor Lüpertz had the opportunity to paint and draw from nude men and female models in his large atelier. Their efforts resulted mostly in watercolors and ink drawings on paper.
"Professor Lüpertz inspired us very much by his knowledge and ability", said Sewekow after the conclusion of the summer academy. In addition, he has a charming and elegant way to encourage artists' own idea and concepts of art.
Actually, the professor demanded much of his students. He gave them the task to complete certain subjects in a set, short time period. But according to reports from the participants, this did not limit the artists' individual talents.
Prefessor Markus Lüpertz belongs to the leading and most successful contemporary artists in Europe. He was born in 1941 in Leitmeritz (today Czech Republic), but after the expulsion of some 3 million Germans from the former Czechoslovakia in 1946--a year after the end of the Second World War--his family came to Germany. Already at the age of 16 years he began the study at the school in Krefeld, under Laurens Goosens. In his biography are also noted studies in the Cloister Maria Laach (images of the crucifiction), one year work in coal mines construction; further studies in Krefeld and in Düsseldorf; work on road constructions and stay in Paris. Since 1961 he works as a free-lance artists.
In the meantime, the 63-year old artist became a highly honored and internationally esteemed personality. His elegance in dressing and public appearances remind us of the surrealist Salvador Dali, although Lüpertz is less excentric and provocative. As a representative of the Neo-expressionism, Markus Lüpertz belongs to the "most significant German painters of the 20th century". After 1981 he turned his attention to scupture. One of his unmistakeable female forms can be found in the New German Chancellory. The Chancellor Gerhard Schröder made it possible to exhibit there the figure, which was commissioned by the German government.
During the summer academy of Professor Lüpertz arose a series of pictures of Chiemsee. As a special attraction, Birgit Sewekow created a series „Olympia 2004". It is a homage to the Olympic Games in Athens.
Copyright 2004 West-Art, Prometheus 93/2004