Gustav Metzger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustav Metzger
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Gustav Metzger in 2009.
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| Born | 10 April 1926 |
| Died | 1 March 2017 (aged 90) London, England, UK
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| Education | Royal Academy of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Auto-Destructive Art |
| Movement | Fluxus, Art Strike |
Gustav Metzger (born April 10, 1926, in Nuremberg – died March 1, 2017, in London) was a German artist and activist. He created a special type of art called Auto-Destructive Art. He also came up with the idea of the Art Strike.
Along with John Sharkey, he started the Destruction in Art Symposium in 1966. Metzger was known for speaking out through his art and actions. He protested against things he thought were wrong in society and the art world.
Contents
Gustav Metzger's Early Life and Studies
Gustav Metzger was born in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1926. His parents were Polish Jewish. In 1939, he came to Britain as a refugee. He was part of a rescue effort called the Kindertransport. This program helped many children escape danger before World War II.
Metzger lost his Polish citizenship and became stateless. This means he didn't belong to any country. He received money from the UK Jewish community to study art. He went to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp from 1948 to 1949.
His experiences with the destructive events of the 20th century deeply affected him. They made him think about what destruction means and how it relates to art.
Gustav Metzger's Beliefs and Activism
Metzger became a vegetarian in 1944. He strongly supported vegetarianism his whole life. He was also one of the first people to speak out against environmental pollution. He also protested against nuclear proliferation, which is the spread of nuclear weapons.
Gustav Metzger's Art Career
Metzger' was a leading artist in the Auto-Destructive Art and Art Strike movements. He was also an active member of the Committee of 100. This group protested against nuclear weapons.
What is Auto-Destructive Art?
In 1959, Metzger wrote his first paper about Auto-Destructive Art. He gave a talk about it at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1964. Students turned this talk into an artistic event called a "Happening."
Auto-Destructive Art is art that destroys itself. It's a way to show how destructive society can be. It also makes people think about how things change over time.
Metzger's Influence on Music
In 1962, Metzger was part of the Festival of Misfits. This event was organized by the Fluxus group in London.
Pete Townshend, the guitarist from the famous band The Who, studied with Metzger. Townshend later said that Metzger's ideas influenced his guitar-smashing performances. Metzger also created cool light shows for the band Cream in the 1960s.
Art and the Environment
Metzger created art that was politically engaged for 60 years. He used many different materials. These included trash, old newspapers, and even acid.
In 2009, the Serpentine Gallery in the UK held a big exhibition of his work. One important piece was Flailing Trees. This artwork had 15 willow trees turned upside down and stuck in a concrete block. It showed how global warming was turning the world upside down.
Metzger believed artists have a special role in fighting against extinction. He felt they could use their ideas to make a difference.
Key Artworks by Gustav Metzger
Metzger created several important artworks. Many of them focused on destruction and environmental issues.
Public Demonstration of Auto-Destructive Art
This artwork was first made in 1960. It was remade in 2004 as Recreation of First Public Demonstration of Auto-Destructive Art.
Liquid Crystal Environment
Liquid Crystal Environment was originally made in 1965. It was remade in 2005.
Historic Photographs
This is an ongoing series of works. Metzger took enlarged press photographs of terrible events from the 20th century. He showed them in a way that made viewers confront the images directly.
Recreation of First Public Demonstration of Auto-Destructive Art
This was a new version of the original demonstration from 1960. In 2004, a cleaner at the Tate Britain accidentally threw away a bag of rubbish that was part of the artwork. Metzger said the piece was ruined and made a new bag to replace it.
Flailing Trees
This artwork was first thought of for the Manchester Peace Garden in 2009. It has uprooted trees turned upside down and placed in a concrete block. It's a strong message about how humans can destroy nature.
Gustav Metzger's Influences
The painter David Bomberg taught Metzger and greatly influenced his art. Metzger was also inspired by the paintings of Johannes Vermeer. He also learned from the natural health ideas of Edmond Szekely.
Gustav Metzger's Legacy
When Metzger taught at Ealing Art College, one of his students was the rock musician Pete Townshend. Townshend later said that Metzger's ideas influenced his famous guitar-smashing during performances with The Who.
Metzger also influenced Joseph Nechvatal, a digital artist. Nechvatal's works include self-eating computer virus art, which connects to Metzger's ideas of destruction.
See also
- Anti-art
- Destruction in Art Symposium
Images for kids
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Grave of Gustav Metzger in Highgate Cemetery
