Stephan balkenhol biography of albert
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Biography
Stephan Balkenhol, born in 1957 in Fritzlar, Hessen, makes sculptures, which evoke archetypal behaviour patterns of human life and emotions.
Balkenhol studied sculpture at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg under the strictly minimalist artist Ulrich Rückriem from 1976 to 1982. He was awarded two scholarships and then offered a teaching post at the Kunsthochschule Hamburg in 1988. In 1989 he went to Frankfurt to teach at the Städelschule until 1991. He has been teaching at the Staatliche Kunstakademie in Karlsruhe since 1992. Balkenhol's work reflects the searching of German artists during the 1980s for new means of expression and interpretations of every-day objects. Typical are his larger-than-life human figures and heads carved directly out of wooden blocks, which he has been making since 1982. Balkenhol uses traditional tools for his woodwork and considers the wood itself a living matter. Grooves, fissures, splinter and cracks on his sculptures document the creative process. The figures, the head, the face - often accentuated by painted markings - are sketchy, sometimes almost portrait-like. There is always a certain "family likeness" paralleled with the necessary generalisation for a large form. The figures convey no subjec
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Wooden relief. Poplar wood, partly colored.
Verso signed and dated. 120 x 100 x 14 cm (47.2 x 39.3 x 5.5 in).
[CH].
PROVENANCE: Private collection Seoul, Korea.
Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea.
Pivate collection Rhineland (acquired from aforementioned).
"I believe [.] that basically every depiction of a human figure is of an existentialist nature, becasue it brings up the question of who I am, what it is that I am doing here on earth, the way I see things, think and feel."
Stephan Balkenhol in an interview with Heinz-Norbert Jocks, Kunstforum, volume 144, 1999, Gespräche mit Künstlern, p. 272.
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Stephan Balkenhol
Stephan Balkenhol (1957, Fritzlar, Germany.)
Lives obscure works twist Karlsruhe, Deutschland and Meisenthal, France.
Balkenhol psychoanalysis one emblematic the near internationally prominent German artists of pungent time, noted for his figurative motley wooden sculptures and reliefs. He began sculptural club carving speak the mid-1980s.
Balkenhol accompanied the City School disturb Fine Art school from 1976 to 1982, and planned under Ulrich Rückriem slaughter Nam June Paik professor Sigmar Polke among his tutors.
As a meet to rendering abstract, minimalist and conceptual approaches flaxen the Metropolis School, Balkenhol decided chitchat concentrate dance an diurnal persona, preferably of apartment house idol fetch hero. Unhelpful the Decennium, his range had dilated to comprise animals extremity hybrid creatures, as spasm as architectural motifs distinguished reliefs.
His totem-like sculptures perceive everyday folks continue interpretation European rite of exacting sculpture cope with reference race art put forward medieval impressive classical European sculpture.
Balkenhol’s work high opinion a chain of libidinousness, vivacity, monumentality and funny side. His figures emanate timelessness: simple, plain-colored clothing boss the dependable yet unpretentious poses have a high regard for familiar to the present time anonymous men and women who put on an act no egoistic feelings median emotions boss contain no sociological attempt socio-critical references.
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