Additional information
by Christoph Schreier (Editor), Bruno Goller (Author), Stephan Berg (Editor)
The history of painting in the 20th century has long been interpreted as a competition between schools and styles, overlooking how decisive outsiders can be for the development of art. Despite some parallels between his work and the art of Surrealism and New Objectivity, Bruno Goller also belongs to this group of unconventional mavericks. Born in Gummersbach in 1901 and residing in Dü sseldorf since 1927, he spent over seventy years creating a magical world of images that, in contrast to the great contemporary trend of abstraction, is characterized by a clear commitment to representationalism. We recognize houses, clocks, hats, roses, umbrellas, coats and, last but not least, women, who are generally depicted in a typified and strictly formalized manner. Although men occasionally appear in his paintings, it is women who are at the center of his art. In their idol-like presence, however, they are as difficult to grasp and interpret as all the objects they are surrounded by. What deeper meaning brings all the motifs in the picture together? Associative links between the pictorial inventory are certainly possible at certain points, but Goller's paintings decline to be clearly legible. Ultimately, they refuse to be grasped by the interpreter and it is precisely from this that they gain their radiance: the magic of the enigmatic.
Author Biography
(1954, Dü sseldorf) Deputy Director and Curator of the Kunstmuseum Bonn, he has retired after 27 years in 2020. In 1992, Christoph Schreier began his work at the Kunstmuseum Bonn as head of the graphic art collection and curator for contemporary art, where he was appointed deputy director just four years later. Under Schreier's direction, numerous exhibition formats were created, here is just a small selection: 2018, Hans Hartung. Works 1962- 1989; 2017, Gerhard Richter. On Painting; 2016, Susanne Paesler. Works 1991- 2006; 2014, Andreas Schulze. Fog in the Living Room. (1901- 1998) was a German painter who was taught by the Dü sseldorf landscape painter Julius Jungheim from 1919 to 1921. Goller became a member of the Junges Rheinland artists' group in 1927 and joined the Rheingruppe in 1920. He survived National Socialism in internal emigration, but was drafted into the Wehrmacht from 1940 to 1945. In 1949/1950, he was appointed to the Dü sseldorf Art Academy, where he held a professorship for painting until 1964. Among his most prominent students were Konrad Fischer, Blinky Palermo and Konrad Klapheck. He participated in exhibitions, including documenta II. (1959, Freiburg) He grew up in Paris and London and studied German, English and history in Tü bingen, Berlin, Rome and Freiburg. He received his doctorate in 1989 with a dissertation on fantastic literature. Since the mid-1980s, Berg has been writing as a freelance journalist in the field of visual arts for the several dailies and magazines. Stephan Berg has been an honorary professor at the Braunschweig University of Art since 2004 and taught art theory and art history in Stuttgart, Freiburg and Hanover between 1995 and 2002.: (1954, Dü sseldorf) Deputy Director and Curator of the Kunstmuseum Bonn, he has retired after 27 years in 2020. In 1992, Christoph Schreier began his work at the Kunstmuseum Bonn as head of the graphic art collection and curator for contemporary art, where he was appointed deputy director just four years later. Under Schreier's direction, numerous exhibition formats were created, here is just a small selection: 2018, Hans Hartung. Works 1962- 1989; 2017, Gerhard Richter. On Painting; 2016, Susanne Paesler. Works 1991- 2006; 2014, Andreas Schulze. Fog in the Living Room. (1959, Freiburg) He grew up in Paris and London and studied German, English and history in Tü bingen, Berlin, Rome and Freiburg. He received his doctorate in 1989 with a dissertation on fantastic literature. Since the mid-1980s, Berg has been writing as a freelance journalist in the field of visual arts for the several dailies and magazines. Stephan Berg has been an honorary professor at the Braunschweig University of Art since 2004 and taught art theory and art history in Stuttgart, Freiburg and Hanover between 1995 and 2002.
