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Günter Brus is one of those great European artists of the last third of the 20th century whose work represents the medial variety that is so characteristic of that era, and at the same time also, by crossing the traditional boundariesn between genres, creates a new image of the artist.
The central role Günter Brus played in "Vienna Actionism" (1964-1970) is manifested in the radicalness with which he used his own body as a medium for his performances. As a consequence of these "actions" the artist had to leave Austria. He turned to increasingly narrative drawing works in Berlin. In comprehensive painting cycles during the last decades (the first was "Irrwisch", a book project, 1971), Günter Brus reached a rich synthesis of the figural, calligraphic and textual components of his compositions, the iconography and language of which are shaped by fantastical new creations. His desire to reach ever new contexts are demonstrated in his book illustrations for classical as well as contemporary pieces and his works for theatre and contemporary composers.
This exhibition - held on the occasion of Günter Brus' 65th birthday - was organised by and shown first in the Albertina, Vienna. After its presentation in Graz it will be shown in Kunsthaus Zug and Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Bologna. The exhibition extends across the chronology of works by Günter Brus, covering a wide variety of fields, both in medium and subject, which all undermine the traditional criteria of categories and present the stringency of his art works always as work on the human body. In Graz the exhibition is extended by important works from the collection of the Neue Galerie and of Grazer private collections.
"Günter Brus - Work Orbit" presents early (hitherto unexhibited) abstract drawings (around 1958), action studies, photographic and film documents of the actions (1964-1970), photo collages, drawings and pastel sheets (since 1971) as well as a selection of the picture poem sequences.
