|
Lothar Wolleh (1930 -1979), who studied with Otto Steinert, was one of Germany's most successful commercial photographers. In the late 1960s, he abandoned commercial work and – at the suggestion of his friend Günther Uecker – began to create portraits of internationally renowned painters, sculptors and actionists.
|
 |
||
| From
that point onwards, Wolleh undertook very little commercial work, preferring
instead to concentrate mainly on projects and ideas which captured his
imagination. The result was a number of "photo-volumes" and
photographic folios, notably Art Szene Düsseldorf I [Art
Scene Düsseldorf I] (1972), Art Szene Düsseldorf 2
[Art Scene Düsseldorf 2], Das Nagelbuch (1970/71) with
Günther Uecker, Unterwasserbuch [Waterproof Book] with
Joseph Beuys (1971), a still unpublished work about Jan J. Schoonhoven
(1969-71) and a volume of photographs, also unpublished, entitled Die
Neuen Realisten [The New Realists] about the group of artists of
the same name. |
|||
| The
concept of the "photo-volume" was firmly embedded in Lothar
Wolleh's artistic thinking and featured in the solo work which he undertook
in addition to his collaboration with other artists. His photographic
record of the Second Vatican Council, Das II. Vatikanische Konzil,
was one of his earliest photo-volumes and was published in 1965. The
question of how to capture and interpret faith, spiritual authority
and the religious masses in a photographic image fascinated him and
frequently impelled him to seek out holy places or people. In 1975,
he published Apostolorum Limina, which documented the celebrations
in that holy year. Volumes on the Black Madonna of Czestochowa and Wawel
Castle remained unfinished.
The portrait is the core element of Lothar Wolleh's work. During the years 1971-73, Wolleh devoted himself to creating a cycle of portraits of powerful German industrialists, bringing to this project the same intensity with which he had previously focussed his lens on his fellow artists. The outcome is akin to a "Who's Who" of West Germany's industrial elite and includes heads of companies that crucially shaped the Federal Republic's economic fortunes during the early 1970s – VW, BMW, Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Bosch, MAN and Neckermann. In light of the activities of the Red Army Faction (RAF), however, the cycle remained unpublished. Until his sudden death in 1979, Lothar Wolleh worked on his series of portraits of celebrated artists. It is these works that undoubtedly form the core of Wolleh's photographic and creative achievements. In all, Wolleh photographed 109 artists in this cycle. With his unique flair and highly developed sense of the artist's individuality, Wolleh produced a series of personalised portraits which - image by image - reveal the inner essence of the artist and their work. The rigorously symmetrical structure places the artist at the very centre of the portrait and removes the stylised atmosphere of the studio. In this way, Wolleh offers insights into the artist's creativity without resorting to the conventional "artist-image" perspective. Another notable feature of the series is that Wolleh invited the artists to enhance and amend their portraits with their own media. For this purpose, the photographs were usually transferred to photographic canvas and reproduced in 50 x 50 cm or 100 x 100 cm format. In this way, a unique symbiosis of art and artistic photography was created. Almost all the portraits shown here were reworked by the artists themselves. To gain a greater insight into Lothar Wolleh's character and creative work, three articles have been selected which mark the beginning and the end of his artistic career.
Biography 1930 Born in Berlin on January 20th 1946-48 Study at the "Hochschule für angewandte Kunst, Berlin-Weißensee", at Otto Sticht and Ernst Rudolf Vogenauer, Class on "Elementarlehre" and painting 1950-56 Six years of imprisonment in the Soviet camp Workuta, USSR. He was relesed after Chanclor Adenauer´s famous visit to Moscow in 1956 which resulted in the return of the remaining German prisoners of war. 1956-57 Education at the "Letteverein, Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts, Berufsfachschule für Photographie, Grafik und Mode", Berlin (West) 1958 Journey to Gotland (Sweden). The trip was part of a World Council of Churches, program. For Wolleh this journey turned out to be a mayor turninpoint in his life resulting into a life-long devotion to the people and landscape of Gotland (Sweden). He is also burried there. 1959-61 Study at the "Folkwang-school", Essen, at Otto Steinert´s class
|
|||
|
1962-79 Freelanced photo- grapher in Düsseldorf 1964 Marriage with Karin Wolleh 1965 Publication of first photo volume on the „Das Konzil“, Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 1965 Birth
of son Oliver |
 |
||
|
1966 Birth of daughter Anouchka 1969 Working on the until now unpublished volume about Jan J. Schoonhoven. 1970 Publication of the photo-volume "UdSSR", Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 1970 Publication of "Uecker Monographie", Verlag Galerien der Spiegel, Köln 1972 Publication of „Art Scene Düsseldorf“, Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 1972 Movie about Günther Uecker´s happening "White-Black-Room". 1973 „Unterwasserbuch“-project together with Josef Beuys. Due to technical problem just three volumes of the book are being made. The remaining pvc-prints were later published individually and are known as "3ton-edition", Staeck, Heidelberg 1975 Publication of the photo-volume „Apostolorum Limina“, Arkade, Brüssel, Arte press, Brüssel. The book is documating the celebrations of the "wholy year" 1975 and was handed over to Pope Paul VI. 1977-79 Several journeys to Poland working on the volumes on "The Black Madona of Tschenstochau" and "The Wawel catle". |
Gerhard
Richter, 1968 “Mrs. Wolleh with Children”
|
||
|
1978 Photos to the volume „Ludwig van Beethovens Leonore, Idee einer Oper“, by Günther Uecker, Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 1979 Photos to the volume „Zum Zeichen der Schrift oder Sprachlosigkeit“, by Günther Uecker, Erker Verlag, St. Gallen 1979 Dies in London on September 28th.
Exhibitions 1962
Otto Steinert und Schüler - Fotografische
Ausstellung 1964
Farbige Fotografie - Bilder aus dem Vatikan 1965
Zyklus von Farbfotos zum römischen Konzil 1972
Szene Rhein-Ruhr '72 1979
Lothar Wolleh – 1930-1979: Portrety Artystow 1980
Lothar Wolleh: Künstlerbildnisse – Kunstobjekte,
Photographien 1986
Lothar Wolleh – Das Foto als Kunststück 1994
Lothar Wolleh 1930-1979:
Künstlerbildnisse – Kunstobjekte, Photographien 1998
Künstlerporträts: als Teil der Ausstellungsfolge
"Kunst der Fotografie für die Vereinte" 1999-2000
Ansichten vom Künstler: Fotografische Porträts
seit 1945
2006
Joseph Beuys in Aktion - Heilkräfte der Kunst:
Hommage zum 20. Todestag
Bibliografy Published books and editions Lothar Wolleh: Das Konzil. II. Vatikanisches Konzil. A documentation in co-operation with Pater Emil Schmitz SJ, Radio Vatikan, Stuttgart: Chr. Belser Verlag, 1965 UdSSR. Der Sowjetstaat und seine Menschen. Fotos von Lothar Wolleh u.a., introduction essay by Heinrich Böll und Valentijn Katajew, Stuttgart: Chr. Belser Verlag, 1970 Günther Uecker / Lothar Wolleh: Nagelbuch. Fotografic documentationwith fotos by Lothar Wolleh, text by Günther Uecker and 5 original graphics; the cover contains a nail and is signed by Ueckert; Edition Artifex, Hg. Willi Bongard, Verlag Galerie Der Spiegel, Köln, 1970/71, Auflage: 530 Exemplare Lothar Wolleh: Art Scene Düsseldorf 1, Stuttgart: Chr. Belser Verlag, 1972, (Mappe mit Fotobuch sowie druckgrafischen Blättern und Auflagenobjekten der im Fotobuch präsentierten Künstler Beuys, Gerstner, Graubner, Heerich, Klapheck, Kriwet, Luther, Mack, Palermo), Auflage: 150 Exemplare Lothar Wolleh: Apostolorum Limina, Verkündigungsbulle “ Apostolorum Limina” to the holy year 1975, Brüssel: Arcade Verlag, 1975, (Sonderausgabe mit goldenem Altar von Vic Gentils) Günther Uecker: Ludwig van Beethovens Leonore. Idee einer Oper, Text: Gerhard Stork, Fotos: Lothar Wolleh, Lay out: Tünn Konerding, Stuttgart, Zürich: Belser Verlag, 1978 (ohne Paginierung) Günther
Uecker: Bühnenskulpturen für Lohengrin,
Text: Günther Uecker and Guido de Werd, Fotos: Lothar Wolleh, Lay
out: Tünn Konerding, Hg. Städtisches Museum Haus Koekkoek, Kleve and
Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf 1981 (ohne Paginierung) Not published books and editions by Lothar Wolleh Schoonhoven-Buch, 1969-1972 (not published bookt), Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien, Porträtfotografien und Aufnahmen von Kunstwerken, 32 Tafeln mit 56 Fotografien und 7 Tafeln mit formatiertem Blindtext, Tafeln in Leinenkassette im Format 40 x 40 cm NR: Neue Realisten (Nouveau Realisme), 1970/71 (unrealisiertes Buchprojekt), Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien, Künstlerporträts der Gruppe Neue Realisten (NR) und Aufnahmen der Veranstaltungen in Mailand 1970 anlässlich des zehnten Jahrestags der Künstlergruppe, inklusive “L’Ultima Cena: Banchetto funebre del Nouveau Realisme” für ein Fotobuch (es existiert ein quadratischer Blindband in rotem Leinenumschlag mit den eingeprägten Namen aller NR-Künstler in einer Leinenkassette); Dazu geplant: druckgrafische Blätter und Auflagenobjekten der im Fotobuch präsentierten NR-Künstler. Joseph Beuys / Lothar Wolleh: Unterwasserbuch, 1971 (unrealisiertes "Buch"-Projekt); Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien,44 Fotografien im Format ca. 36 x 36 cm von Joseph Beuys‘ Ausstellungsaufbau im Moderna Museet Stockholm 1971, als Grundlage für die geplante Edition “Unterwasserbuch” (wasserfester Druck der Motive auf PVC-Folie, zu einem Buch gebunden, in einer Wanne liegend und mit einer Taucherlampe angeleuchtet); geplante Auflagenhöhe: 200 Exemplare Männer
der Wirtschaft, 1971-73 (unrealisiertes Buchprojekt), Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien,
47Fotografien
|
|||
