Manfred Kuttner, artist,
born 1937 in Greiz, Germany; died 2007 in Erkrath, Germany
Manfred Kuttner studied at the Dresden Art Academy
before
he moved for political reasons to West Germany in
1960 in order to continue his studies at Kunstakademie in
Düsseldorf.
Joining the class of K.O. Goetz, he formed a group
with Konrad Lueg, Sigmar Polke and fellow East German
Gerhard
Richter. Sharing influences of Pop Art they worked
as an informal,
loose group for almost four years, organizing
shows like the now legendary Demonstrative Kunstausstellung
in a Düsseldorf shop window in 1963. In the same year
he participated at the Biennale in San Marino where he
received,
together with the artist group ZERO, the first prize.
He discovered the material qualities of a newly patented
fluorescent
paint (Plakafarbe), which he used not only for
his geometrically-structured paintings but also on several
dadaesque objects such as this chair (Heiliger Stuhl, Holy
Chair, 1962/2006) coated in fluorescent pink and balanced
on four metal pins so that, initially, it seems to hover slightly.
In the mid 1960s Kuttner made a decision to stop working
as an artist to pursue a financially stable career as a graphic
designer
in order to support his young family.
Manfred Kuttner, Heiliger Stuhl (Holy Chair), 1962.
Chair, tempera, fluorescent paint.
Courtesy of JOHANN KÖNIG Berlin.
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