Draft:Willi Wernz

Willi Wernz (born November 22, 1919) was a German painter. His works, characterized by a unique synthesis of representational motifs and informal painting, have left a significant mark on the artistic landscape of Mannheim.

Early Life and Education

Willi Wernz was born and raised in Mannheim, Germany. After completing his primary education in Sandhofen, he embarked on an apprenticeship in typesetting, offset printing, and lithography at the Ludwigshafen company "Weiß und Hameier." His artistic journey began to take shape during his military service from 1940 to 1945, which took him across various European countries.

Following the end of World War II, Wernz pursued formal art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under the tutelage of Willi Geiger, a renowned artist with whom Wernz developed a deep friendship.

Career

Wernz's artistic career gained momentum in the 1950s when he began to develop his distinctive style. Combining elements of landscape and still life, Wernz focused on the purely pictorial realization of his subjects, emphasizing coloristic expression and painterly techniques. His works often reflect a melancholic tone, drawing inspiration from his immediate surroundings in Mannheim.

"In the 1950s, Willi Wernz developed "his style" and discovered his motifs, to which he would remain uncompromisingly faithful until old age. Following a classic theory of sociology, Wernz can speak of the professionalization of aesthetic production. By combining the motifs “landscape” and “still life” the autonomous, professionalized artist emphasizes the painterly, concentrating on the purely pictorial realization, on the visible coloristic outer skin of the canvas. The attitude is reminiscent of the Leibl circle; I'm thinking particularly of Schuch, whom Wernz values ​​very much. An ethical side to this logic of painting could also be noted, namely an honesty and sincerity in the spirit of Cézanne, who confessed that he did not want to be right in theory, but in the eyes of nature. »The more openly, the more sincerely an authorial self reveals itself in the text, as Felix Philipp Ingold once said in a lecture, the more consistently and radically its fictionalization must be carried out. When it comes to the subject matter of Wernz's painting, many viewers saw this necessary fictionality of the picture's texture as an emergency. If I get stuck on the motifs, art criticism becomes savory; A dubious zeitgeist defines aesthetics and aesthetics demands things in the 50s"

Throughout his career, Wernz remained closely associated with the Mannheimer Kunsthalle, where he conducted successful "Children's Painting Lessons" from 1959 to 1976, laying the groundwork for contemporary museum education initiatives. He held his first major exhibition at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in 1961.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Willi Wernz's artistic contributions were recognized with numerous awards and exhibitions. He received art prizes from the Friends of Fine Arts in 1954 and 1956, highlighting his growing prominence within the artistic community.

Wernz's works were featured in exhibitions across Germany and internationally, including shows at prestigious venues such as the Haus der Kunst in Munich and the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg. His exhibitions often showcased the breadth and diversity of his oeuvre, ranging from paintings to drawings, and reflected his unwavering commitment to his artistic vision.

Legacy

Willi Wernz's legacy endures through his lasting impact on Mannheim's art scene and beyond. His ability to merge representational motifs with abstract expressionism in a deeply personal style has cemented his position as a significant figure in German art history.

Wernz's works continue to be celebrated for their emotional depth and technical mastery, offering viewers a glimpse into the artist's profound connection to his hometown and the natural world that inspired him.

References

"Willi Wernz, Bilder und Zeichnungen 1951 - 1990," Städtische Kunsthalle Mannheim, 1990 (translated into English by Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke). Geißler Art Archive, Free Academy of Arts in Mannheim.

Biography

Born in Mannheim in 1919 1934-38 apprenticeship as a lettering lithographer in Ludwigshafen

1940-45 military service

1946-48 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with Willi Geiger

1954 Art Prize from the Friends of Fine Arts. v.

1956 Art Prize of the Friends of Fine Arts e. v. Scholarship holder of the art circle in the Federal Association of German Industry

1955-78 Teaching position at the Evening Academy and Adult Education Center in Mannheim; Children's painting lessons in the Kunsthalle Mannheim

1978-80 Teaching position at the International Summer Academy for Fine Arts, Salzburg Member of the Free Academy of Arts, Mannheim lives in Mannheim-Sandhofen Heinz Fuchs, Willi Wernz catalog, Kunsthalle Mannheim 1961 Günther Ladstetter, catalog Weiner, Emmerich, Wernz, Galerie Lauter, Mannheim 1964 Christoph Andritzky, catalog Willi Wernz, paintings and drawings 1952-1979, Kunstverein Mannheim 1979 Heiner Weiner, leaflet Willi Wernz, works from 30 years, artists show artists, gallery in the Alte Hauptfeuerwache cultural center, Mannheim 1983 Gerd-Niels Wötzel, broadcast by Süddeutscher Rundfunk from December 2, 1983 on the exhibition Willi Wernz in the Mannheim fire station 1983 (manuscript) Heiner Weiner, catalog of the group exhibition Sestola - Mannheim 1986 (excerpt from the text from 1983)

There is documentation on Willi Wernz in the Geißler Art Archive, Free Academy of Arts in Mannheim.

Exhibitions

1948, Mannheim Art Gallery 1951, Free Darmstadt Artists' Association Mannheimer Quadrat, Free Academy Mannheim 1952, The Image of the World, Kunsthalle Mannheim 1954/55 Mannheimer Quadrat, Kunsthalle Mannheim 1965/56, Mannheimer Quadrat, Kunsthalle Mannheim 1966, ars viva, cultural group of German industry, Baden-Bade 1959, Tendencies 59, University of Heidelberg 1960, Traveling exhibition of Baden-Württemberg artists in France 1961, Mannheim Art Gallery 1962, Mannheim artist, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea 1964, Weiner, Emmerich, Wernz, Galerie Margarete Lauter, Mannheim 1967, Kunsthalle Mannheim (drawings) 1968, Large German art exhibition, Haus der Kunst, Munich 1969, Large German art exhibition, Haus der Kunst, Munich 1971, ars viva 71, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg 1973, 6 Mannheim draftsmen, Mannheim Art Association Large German art exhibition, Haus der Kunst, Munich Symposium of the Arts, Mannheim 1974, Studio Proportion, Wasserburg am Inn (drawings) 1976, German Artists' Association, Mainz 1978, German Artists' Association, Mannheim Gallery in Goldgasse, Salzburg (drawings) 1979, Paintings and drawings 1952-1979, Mannheim Art Association 1983, Chemist heads (drawings), Volksbank Weinheim Artists from the Rhine-Neckar region, Porto 1986/87, Artists show artists, gallery in the Alte Hauptfeuerwache cultural center, Mannheim 1988, Group exhibition Sestola - Mannheim Group exhibition gallery in the Alte Hauptfeuerwache cultural center, Mannheim 1989, Volksbank Mannheim-Sandhofen (drawings) 1991, Mannheim Art Gallery

There are also exhibitions by the Rhine-Neckar and Baden-Wüttemberg artist associations