Bernard Schultze

Bernard Schultze biography

The painter, graphic designer and object artist Bernard Schultze studied from 1934-39 at the Hochschule für Kunsterziehung in Berlin and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, and was one of the founding members of German Informel painting. In Frankfurt in 1952, he founded the artist group 'Quadriga', the centre of German Informel, together with K.O. Götz, Otto Greis and Heinz Keutz. Whilst his early work carried traits of surrealism, from the 1950s he developed an individual form of gestural painting, influenced by French Tachismus and American action painting. He was particularly impressed by the work of Wols and Jean-Paul Riopelle. His lyrically abstract pictorial language combined vegetable forms and layered, relief-like coats of paint. From 1961, he expanded the canvas to 'Migofs', constructions out of wire, textiles, paper and plastic, producing forms reminiscent of root structures. Motivated by Pop Art he also later integrated items into his pictures ('Zungen-Collagen') and altered shop mannequins with colour and collage. In the 1980s, he turned back towards painting and large colour-rich landscape formats. He also produced linocuts, etchings and lithographs. Schultze was represented at documenta 2, 3 and 6 and in 2012/13, the Duisburger Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst held a comprehensive retrospective of his work.