Anton Cos

 

 

(Deutschland)

 

 

 

 

Vita brevis, ars longa

 

 

In the year 2008, in December, a gift should whirl up my life.

My  predilections, however changed; it gave me the first impetus for commencing to collect  art: a lithography by the unrecognized German artist Wolfgang Oppermann.

 

 

Although my appreciation of art as well as my reluctance against the contemporary, proved decisive for not taking offence on the gifted work. I regarded Picasso as more as modern and conceptual art – I connoted all contemporary art with a conceptual way of visualization – was not of particular value for me (still nowadays after intense preoccupation with it, now and then I doubt whether the seen artworks fulfill a certain quality standard).

Overcome with curiosity to find out more about Oppermann´s biography and degree of fame I started with my research.

The more I clicked through the Google universe, the more I gained the impression of that I own an unimportant artist. (Sure he is not!). The idée reçue that no one would take the blindest bit of notice of him, led me to indite this essay in order to increase Oppermann´s renownedness. Thus it was indispensable to take a good look

at the art of the time to understand his works.

 

 

I took upon myself to swirl up the dust from the artist´s façade of oblivion:

Wolfgang Oppermann, born in Hamburg in 1937, studied from 1959 till 1962 at the School for Visual Arts taught by Georg Gresko and Walter Peterhans. Six years after graduating Oppermann was alloted a teaching assignment under Paul Wunderlich  at his former university. In 1966 the art institute Accademia Tedesca Roma Villa Massimo  awarded Oppermann a  residency for one year at the Villa Massimo in Rome. After his journey he settled down in the Hanseatic City and worked there till he died in 2001.

 

Oppermann ran countless personal as well as group exhibition and biennale art shows.  Even the Brusberg Gallery, the most important promoter of post war art has included his creative activities in its collection.

Wolfgang Oppermann is a brilliant graphic artist, particularly notable in lithography. In 1972 he came out as a painter as well and to some degree influenced by the famous Anna Oppermann. A few years later her husband dedicated to conceptual and kinetic art.

It ensued numerous prestigious publications in several publishing companies (e.g. DuMont ), which strengthened Wolfgang Oppermann´s rank as a significant exponent of the 60/70ths realism.

 

Torso vor Rot

 

By means of his surrealistic body-allegories he chose a very individual path of realism in those days. Oppermann was an exceptional representative who did not always followed the mainstream and is therefore  still  nowadays coveted by a small circle of collectors as well as art adorers.

Hope is the last to die as I say. In the hope that one day Oppermann will enjoy the status he deserves I remain with a quantum of solace:

Vita brevis, ars longa! (Art is long, life is short) – Hippocrates

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ANTON COS – Schriftsteller aus Leidenschaft (31. Mai 1993 in Böblingen)

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