SOLO EXHIBITION AT THE GALERIE ESTHER - ERNST FUCHS MUSEUM, VIENNA

GALERIE ESTHER
ERNST FUCHS MUSEUM IN VIENNA

Prior to my 80th Birthday, I am proud to be showing at this prestigious gallery in Vienna. Showing many of my works that were never shown in Vienna before, together with some of my best work from the decades of art since the seventies.

I will be showing paintings and drawings, many of which I had not shown in Vienna before. Last year I was able to reaquire some drawings from an Austrian collector; works that date back to the eighties, but were never shown anywhere before. In fact, I did not even have proper photos of it, so now I was able to scan and photograph these works for my files and for publications.

VINDOBONA ALTARPIECE II - graphite on paper, 1980

FAMILY REUNION - 1980 - 41 X 77 cm

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SPIRAL RAPTURE - 1993 - 16 x 26 cm

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SEMELE - graphite on paper - 1993 - 16 x 26 cm

These original works were never shown before anywhere. Now to the Exhibition Poster and other works that are more recent, but had never been shown in Vienna before.

OTTO RAPP EXHIBITION - GALERIE ESTHER POSTER

Paintings and Drawings that were in the travelling exhibitions MAGICAL DREAMS of the Gallery Bator in Poland. These travelling exhibitions were held biannually and went through Poland and Germany. Some, (2019 and 2021) were also shown at the Dom Galerie in Wiener Neustadt. The bottom line is, none of them were ever shown in Vienna. THE SURROGATE MOTHER OF WISDOM

ABANDONED BY HIS MOTHER …. the illegitimate child of Tiamat was licking his eyebrows in frustration until they fell off – acrylic on woodpanel – 40x50cm – 2016

Previously, at MAGICAL DREAMS III 2015, this painting was my first entry in that cycle of shows
BOGOMIL SUNRISE – acrylic glazes on masonite – 2013 – 40 x 50 cm

BOGOMIL SUNRISE – acrylic glazes on masonite – 2013 – 40 x 50 cm

Another painting, also part of a traveling show by the Gallery Bator, MAGICAL DREAMS V 2019 YGGDRASIL – 2019 – acrylic on canvas – 60 x 90 cm

^{This is a revival of a old 1981 color pencil sketch I found in my slide files. I decided to take the idea from it. It shows Nidhogg the dragon chewing on the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree.
The rendering of the dragon is deliberately ambiguous: it appears as if one of the roots of Yggdrasil are possibly also his own tail.}
Also from the travelling exhibition by the Gallery Bator,
MAGICAL DREAMS VI 2021
VULKAN – Acrylic on canvas, decalcomania technique – 2020/21 – 100cm x 70cm

VULKAN – Acrylic on canvas, decalcomania technique – 2020/21 – 100cm x 70cm

These travelling exhibitions were held biannually and went through Poland and Germany. Some, (2019 and 2021) were also shown at the Dom Galerie in Wiener Neustadt. The bottom line is, none of them were ever shown in Vienna.

One of my most widely travelled paintings, and the poster piece of this exhibition, had been shown several times before in Austria, France, Spain and Mexico. It shows my style of decalcomania as well as the rather labor-intensive method of ‘Mische Technique’.
OFFSPRING OF TIAMAT – THE FOMORII UNION – acrylic on canvas – 50×40 cm – 2009

OFFSPRING OF TIAMAT – THE FOMORII UNION – acrylic on canvas – 50×40 cm – 2009

A first for Vienna will be these newer drawings, debuted at MAGICAL DREAMS III, IV, V and VI (from the most recent to the older ones)
MEMENTO MORI – graphite on paper – 70 x 50 cm – 2020

MEMENTO MORI – graphite on paper – 70 x 50 cm – 2020

THE COVID DOCTOR HAS LANDED – graphite on paper, 40 x 70 cm – 2020

Additional ones from that series of travelling shows, previous dates:
EMRAKUL – graphite and charcoal on paper – 2019 – 42 x 29.5 cm

NUBIAN KORE - charcoal on gessoed masonite panel - 2014 - 30x40cm

MORDOR BORDER WATCHER - graphite on matboard - 20x28cm - 2015

Another drawing never before shown in Austria, which was especially made for a tribute show at the Solingen Güterhallen in Germany 120 YEARS SULAMITH WÜLFLING was recently returned to me from the Gallerist
MISS T FANTASY PORTRAIT – graphite on paper – 2020 – 46 x 46 cm

MISS T FANTASY PORTRAIT – graphite on paper – 2020 – 46 x 46 cm

Of course some of my other works will be shown as well – some of which are also well travelled and had been shown in Europe and Overseas before.
BOGOMIL’S MONASTIC RETREAT – acrylic on masonite – 1997 – 84 x 62 cm

BOGOMIL’S MONASTIC RETREAT – acrylic on masonite – 1997 – 84 x 62 cm

REVELATION 20 – acrylic on canvas – 1994 – 71 x 51 cm

^{Ernst Fuchs checking my painting ‘Revelation 20’ at the gallery at Palais Palffy in Vienna (the Phantasten Museum has been closed many years ago) – this picture is probably from 2012. I had a studio next to Ernst Fuchs at the Palffy for several years until 2014.} THE BEAST OF BABYLON – 56×76 cm – graphite on paper – 1980

THE BEAST OF BABYLON – 56×76 cm – graphite on paper – 1980

My work “The Beast of Babylon” in the Phantasten Museum, Vienna. It was on loan to the museum for several years. Foreground is a sculpture by Curt Stenvert, next to my drawing is a painting by Jehan Calvus. The Museum at the Palais Palffy in Vienna has been closed many years ago.

A number of smaller works, which I consider pivotal pieces in my artistic development, one example:
BOGOMIL’S CEREMONIAL STAGE: CASPAR AND HIS PROPS – acrylic on canvas – 25 x 35 cm – 1983

BOGOMIL’S CEREMONIAL STAGE: CASPAR AND HIS PROPS – acrylic on canvas – 25 x 35 cm – 1983

….. and of course, more drawings such as this:
FOMORII GENERAL – graphite on matboard (carton) – 2011 – 43 cm x 29 cm

LOOK WHAT I FOUND – CAN WE KEEP IT? – graphite on paper – 2012 – A4

AXIS MUNDI – graphite on paper – 1997 – 61 x 40 cm

For the above drawing I did some research much later (when I work, I usually do not start with preconceived ideas), since I am asked what it means – this may be one explanation:
“A common shamanic concept, and a universally told story, is that of the healer traversing the axis mundi to bring back knowledge from the other world. It may be seen in the stories from Odin and the World Ash Tree to the Garden of Eden and Jacob’s Ladder to Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel. It is the essence of the journey described in The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The epic poem relates its hero’s descent and ascent through a series of spiral structures that take him through the core of the earth, from the depths of hell to celestial paradise. (Wikipedia)”
– interesting trivia, which is found in a couple of drawings from that time is that I included a selfportrait, which you can see at the bottom right.

A full list of my credentials is found on my website

I am also in the collection of the Province of Alberta, Canada with my drawing THE BIRTHDAY PARTY – and at the Nickle Arts Museum of the University of Calgary, Alberta with several works ARTWORK BY OTTO RAPP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY COLLECTION

A large number of my works are in private collections in Canada, the USA and Europe. Unfortunately, for many of the early works that found their way into private collections overseas I have no visual record.

Previous exhibitions, starting in 1972, are found here (needs updating):
LIST OF EXHIBITIONS

Opening of my Solo Exhibition at the Galerie Esther, Ernst Fuchs Museum in Vienna, Austria is scheduled for September 19th 2024 at 7 PM
I will be celebrating my 80th Birthday, 3 months before the actual date, with this commemorative show.

The Galerie Esther at the Ernst Fuchs Museum

I blogged about this event yesterday on my Wordpress Blog - here on the Blockchain I try to post additional material.
Check out the Flickr Album of most of my artwork.