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Karl Otto Gӧtz (born 22 February 1914) is a German artist, film maker, draughtsman, printmaker, writer and teacher. He is known for his explosive and complex abstract forms. His powerful, surrealist-inspired works have earned him international recognition in exhibitions like documenta II in 1959. Götz has never confined himself to one specific style or artistic field. He also explored generated abstract forms through television art. Götz is one of the most important members of the German Art Informel movement. His works and teachings influenced future artists such as Sigmar Polke, Nam June Paik and Gerhard Richter. Currently, he is living and working in Wolfenacker in the Westerwald since 1975.

Early Life

Born in Aachen, Germany, Götz began painting in secondary school in 1924 (kk). In 1930 he began painting abstracts. He attended the School of Applied Arts from 1932 to 1933 . His early paintings were characterized by the modernist/avante- garde movements, surrealism and expressionism. Gӧtz was specifically influenced by artists such as Max Ernst , Juan Gris, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee . After the takeover of Germany by the National Socialist Party, painting became difficult for Gӧtz. He was banned from painting and exhibiting due to the national disapproval of abstract and surrealist art. However, he was able to make a living by creating and selling landscape paintings.

Götz was drafted into the Wehrmacht air force when he was twenty-five shortly before the beginning of World War II. During his military service from 1936 to 1938 Götz was able to continue to experiment with various media such as spray paint, photograms (created without the use of a camera by placing objects on photographic paper exposed then exposing it to light) , and abstract cine-films. He moved to Wurzen, Saxony and concentrated on abstract painting, combining geometric and organic elements. In 1945, Gӧtz married Anneli Brauckmeyer.

Experimentation with Television Art

Television art can be defined art made for or with broadcast television. Because of the medium’s electronic makeup, poor resolution, small scale images and various viewing conditions, television art began less related to avant-garde film and more closely related to abstract art. This medium was primarily worked with artist who focus on non-figurative representations in other media.

During the war, Gӧtz worked with many ground-based radars. He began to manipulate these radars electronically in order to create moving abstract forms. His goal of creating the large rastered pictures was to create ‘electron paintings’ imitating the form animated television pictures. Gӧtz’s work and theoretical ideas influenced artist like Nam June Paik, a Korean American artist who is considered the founder of video art. It is said that these experimentations have led to Gӧtz making the decision to only create abstract works.

Early Career

Gӧtz’s early post-War work included extensive experimentation with a variety of techniques including woodcuts, tempera and gouache. In 1946, he began experimenting with solarization, a process similar to photograms. Gӧtz had his first one-man show in 1947. Two years later in 1949 Gӧtz completely moved away from figurative art altogether. That same year he became the first German to join the European avant-garde movement COBRA. COBRA was an avant-garde movement based in Europe and was active from 1948 to 1951. Cobra is an international group of artist founded in 1948 and was active until 1951. This group, though together very briefly, put together a series of publications and exhibitions In 1952, Gӧtz cofounded the group QUADRIGA along with Otto Gries, Heinz Kreutz, and Bernard Schultze. The members in QUADRIGA were pioneers of Art Informel in Germany. In 1952, Gӧtz cofounded the group QUADRIGA along with Otto Gries, Heinz Kreutz, and Bernard Schultze. From then on, Gӧtz became a leading figure in the German Art Informal and was showcased in major shows such as the Venice Biennale of 1958 and Documenta II exhibition in Kassel in 1959.

From 1948 to 1953, Gӧtz edited the journal Meta, which is a magazine focused on the intersection between art, science, culture and nature.Gӧtz also wrote under the pseudonym of André Tamm and after several years of studying information theory published several scientific articles and conduct investigations concerning color perception.

It was during this time that Gӧtz developed his unique technique of gestural painting. By applying his paint to a wet ground, rapidly adding and scraping off paint with various tools, Gӧtz is able to create his powerful, highly abstracted pieces. His work is influenced by Surrealist theories of automatism, accessing material from the subconscious or unconscious mind.

Later Career

In 1965, Götz got a divorce from his wife Anneliese and married German artist Rissa, also known as Karin Martin. Starting in 1971, Götz began conducting experiments at the Dusseldorf Academy on visual perception and personality. His research is recognized by international psychologists. From 1995 to 2001, Götz began to create ceramic pieces . Some of these ceramic works, such as the plates and vases, are decorated with his unique gestural and bold brushstrokes. In other instances, these brushstrokes take on three dimensional forms. Several of his low relief sculptures reflect the same fluid and dynamic movement that can be found in his unique painting technique.

In 1997, the KO Götz and Rissa Foundation was founded. Its purpose is to promote art and culture by making the works of KO Götz and Rissa’s work more available to the public. This will be accomplished by presentations of the works by both artists in museums and other art associations. On February 22, 2015, Götz turned 101 years old.

Recent Exhibitions

Berlin, Neue Nationalgalerie, "KO Götz, A Retrospective on the 100th Birthday", Traveling exhibition, together with the Küppersmühle, Duisburg, and the Museum Wiesbaden

Duisburg, Küppersmühle, "KO Götz, A Retrospective on the 100th Birthday" , traveling exhibition, together with the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, and the Museum Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, "KO Götz, A Retrospective on the 100th Birthday", traveling exhibition, together with the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, and the Küppersmühle, Duisburg

Berlin, Art Wolfgang Werner, "Karl Otto Götz: Works 1947-2012"

Kronberg im Taunus, gallery Uwe Oppermann, "Karl Otto Götz: Lithographs 1983-2004"

Aachen, Suermondt Ludwig Museum, "Karl Otto Götz, painting and Byways, An exhibition on the 100th Birthday" Wismar, St. George's Church, "KO Götz: Lithography",

Munich, gallery Maulberger, "Karl . Otto Götz and the Quadriga A legend is 100 "(cat.),

Saarbrücken, gallery Elitzer, KO Götz 100th - Graphics from its own holdings,

Chemnitz, Chemnitz Art Collections, "KO G ötz 100th birthday - Paintings and artwork in its own inventory "(cat.),

Aachen, Gallery at Elisengarten, "KO Götz - 100th Birthday",

Kaiserslautern, Volksbank Kaiserslautern-Nordwestpfalz, "Karl Otto Götz's 100th birthday - works on paper from seven decades"

Aachen, Schürenberg - KUNSTHANDEL, "KO Götz - Retrospective",

Dusseldorf, Museum Kunst Palast, "KO Götz 100th birthday pictures from the Foundation collection Kemp" (cat.),

Koblenz, Rhine Gorge Museum, "KO Götz - Special Presentation at his 100th birthday, "

Heidelberg, gallery JULIA Philippi, "KO Götz - THE 100th ANNIVERSARY - lithographs",

Hilden, Cultural Affairs Art Space Business Park South, "100 Years of Karl Otto Götz - the graphic work" (cat.),

Dresden, Gallery ART EXHIBITION IN A COOL, "KO Götz's 100th birthday, surreal working group of the '40s",

Solingen, construction sites gallery, "KO Götz and his friends" (with Müller-Kraus, Master Man, Dahmen),

King Winter, Siebengebirgsmuseum in cooperation with Atelier monkey, "KO Götz - Retrospective .. 100 works from the collection Hennemann,"

Beaulieu / France, Association culturelle ABBAY DE BEAULIEU - Centre d'Art, "traits ... très noirs - Homage to Karl Otto Götz"

Ehingen / Donau, castle Mochental, Galerie Ewald Karl Schrade, Karlsruhe / Mochental, together with Bernard Schultze, "Karl Otto Götz. Bernard

Schultze - Works on Paper 1949-2003 " King Winter, studio monkey, "Karl Otto Götz. ". Lithographs

Frankfurt, THE GALLERY, "Karl Otto Götz" (cat.),

Sindelfingen, City Gallery of Sindelfingen, "KO Götz - painters, poets and scientists,"

Kleve, Museum Kurhaus Kleve, Götz room on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Koblenz, Galerie Eva Tent