PICHLER, Franz

Born 1960 in Seckau, lives and works in Vienna.

Franz Pichler studied from 1978-1983 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna with Bruno Gironcoli. In 1983, the artist was awarded the Master School prize, in 1989, the prize of the small sculptures triennial of the city of Feldbach near Stuttgart, and in 1990, the Sandoz prize. From 1983-1985, he taught at the Technical University of Vienna. In 1987, Pichler exhibited his works at the Viennese Secession. In 1993, his art was exhibited in New York gallery Eigen&ARt, and in 1997, at the Museum of Applied Art, Vienna.

Franz Pichler repeatedly dealt with artistic transition zones, hinting at different design methods in painting. Most often, Pichler deals with spatial sculptures (Raumobjekt). At the beginning of the 1980s, he developed colored spatial signs from constructivism. Rooms were equipped with abstract colored elements determined according to a geometric vocabulary of forms. The environment surrounds and permeates the sculptures.

Stemming from somewhere between painting (colour) and scultpure (3-D), the 2-D and 3-D bodies are always about formal concretization. Starting from simple basic forms such as the often occurring spiral or the triangle, Pichler explores new constellations of forms already known. As simple as the individual parts and the system as such may be - by intersecting, repeating and blowing up, forms are alienated until they are, in the end, no longer perceptible. In this process of frequent repetition, the material is of minor importance, since it is coated with paint.

In 2003, Pichler’s works were shown at the Schafschetzy Studio, a Graz-based art gallery, as well as, in 2005, at the Graz City Museum.

Sculpture details: Untitled, 1991/92