Otto Greis

Otto Greis * 28. August 1913 in Frankfurt/Main; † 30. March 2001 in Ingelheim or Ockenheim) is a German painter of the Informel.

life

Otto Greis studied mechanical engineering starting from originally 1932, breaks this study however to favour of the painting takes off with Johann Heinrich excavates, that at the barn school in Frankfurt a studio possesses private instruction in painting and design (from 1934 to 1938). From 1940 to 1945 of members of the German armed forces as a medical soldier. Immediately after the war in the year 1945 he becomes acquainted with Ernst Wilhelm Nay , which was into the 1950ern a central representative of the abstract painting in Germany. This meeting and the associated exchange over questions of the art was for Greis' further development of of great importance. From its works of the time at that time this can be read off likewise like the argument with the works from Paul Klee and Paul Cézanne.

A key experience for its artistic way its attendance of the second CoBrA became - exhibition in Lüttich in October 1951. Greis visited this exhibition with the painter K. O. Götz. After it Greis' first informal painting, „for Claude “, develops directly which rapidly many further tachistische works follow. In December 1952 it participates then with own works in the legendary first Quadriga - exhibition in Frankfurt. Apart from K. O. Götz, Heinz Kreutz and Berne pool of broadcasting corporations school TZE is thereby the one of the important representatives of the informal painting in Germany.
Otto Greis' work developed very independently and broke with the canon of the painting of the first half 20. Century, was however no field of impulsive gestischer painting. Greis understood its work rather as result about conscious organization, which follows own („new “) regularities. Thus it looked for in the middle of the 1950er years in the argument with certifications „primitive art “(works of art of early history and African plastics) its own style. Starting from 1956/1957 Greis separates from the Informel and turns other pictorial challenges, in particular the third dimension. It seeks to integrate these by a very pasty color order (dye films) in its paintings. During the 1960er Greis the light begins to understand years as own dimension of its painting. In the argument with „space bodies “on the canvas it works on further the aspect of the third dimension. Released by journeys to the Mediterranean area its paintings keep during the 1970er increasing a bright coloured tendency, which is often based on ten and more nearly transparency laid on dye films. Its regular stays in Spain, off approx. , finally its form and color repertoire change 1983 again.

Otto Greis developed already at the beginning of the 1950er years of contacts to Paris, traveled regularly there and moves then 1957 completely to France . 1984 pulled Greis back to Germany, after Ockenheim /Rhein, where he died at the age of 87 years 2001.

exhibitions (selection)

• 1952 room gallery franc, Frankfurt/Main (Quadriga exhibition)
• 1962 urban arts center Mannheim
• 1967 Kölni Kunsterverein, Cologne
• 1968 art association of Baden, Karlsruhe
• 1970 urban arts center, Mannheim
• 1978 arts center Bremen
• 1981 upperhessian museum, pouring
• 1983 art association Friedberg
• 1985 urban arts center, Mannheim
• 1986 sink layman RH from, bath Homburg v.d.H.
• 1988 federal state museum, Mainz
• 1992 art association Speyer
• 1996 of that Heydt museum, Wuppertal
• 2003 hessian federal state museum, Darmstadt
• 2004 urban museum, wolf castle
• 2005 federal state museum, Mainz
• 2006 Gustav Lübcke museum, Hamm (23. April to 18. June)