Terra Altenbourg ― Die Welt Des Zeichners

Gerhard Altenbourg (1926–1989) lived and worked in Altenburg, Thuringia, almost his entire life, and his drawings and prints form an oeuvre of great artistic significance. In the wake of recent acquisitions, Dresden’s Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs) has now compiled a complete catalog of the plethora of Altenbourg works it holds. His 12 artist books are reproduced in their entirety and in color, and include such central works as “Dulce et Decorum,” in which Altenbourg tried to come to terms with his traumatic wartime experiences, and “Jauchzer Juchzer Jachzer,” whose playful, filigree texture points us to the artist’s affinity to Dada. Essays by renowned authors shed new light on the broad spectrum of Altenbourg’s book art. Their changing appearance, cover design, and calculated use of different types of paper speak to his great feel for materiality. Complementing Altenbourg’s bold color compositions, these features lend a sensuous touch to these highly personal artifacts.

Bernhard Maaz is a former research assistant at the Staatliche Museen of Berlin, and the former head of the Alte Nationalgalerie of Berlin and its deputy director. He is currently director of the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister and the Kupferstich-Kabinett of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.