Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart German artist, sculptor and writer. Date of Birth: 17.11.1899 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
2. Early Life and Education
3. Artistic Groups and Movements
4. Emigration and Later Years
5. Creative Legacy and Exhibitions

Biography of Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart was a German artist, sculptor, and writer. He was known for his paintings, as well as his reliefs, collages, and photomontages. He also worked as a theater artist, interior designer, and furniture designer.

Early Life and Education

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart began his professional career as an apprentice carpenter under his father. In 1919, he enrolled in the Higher School of Hannover, where he studied architecture, sculpture, and painting. During this time, the artist collaborated with the avant-garde journal "Der Sturm." From 1919 to 1922, Vordemberge-Gildewart created abstract collages and reliefs, and from 1923 onwards, he focused on abstract paintings. In Hannover, he became acquainted with prominent painters such as Kurt Schwitters, Oskar Schlemmer, Wassily Kandinsky, and Hans Arp.

Artistic Groups and Movements

In 1924, Vordemberge-Gildewart met Theo van Doesburg in Hannover, and under his influence, the artist joined the art group "De Stijl" (The Style). In 1927, together with Schwitters, Hans Nitzschke, Karl Buchheister, and Rudolf Jans, he founded the art group "Abstrakter Hannover" (Abstract Hannover), positioning themselves as an international union of expressionists, futurists, cubists, and constructivists. In 1932, he became a member of the "Abstraction-Creation" group, which was established in Paris by artists and sculptors Naum Gabo, Antoine Pevsner, Auguste Herbin, Theo van Doesburg, and Georges Vantongerloo.

Emigration and Later Years

In 1936, Vordemberge-Gildewart moved to Berlin, and then in 1937, he emigrated to Switzerland, followed by Amsterdam, where he lived until 1954. In Nazi Germany, his works were deemed "degenerate art." From 1954 to 1962, the artist worked at the Ulm School of Design.

Creative Legacy and Exhibitions

Vordemberge-Gildewart's artistic legacy encompasses not only his paintings but also his reliefs, collages, and photomontages. He also worked as a theater artist, interior designer, and furniture designer. Until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the artist participated in numerous international art exhibitions in Paris, London, and New York. He also exhibited at the Documenta I (1955) and Documenta II (1959) contemporary art exhibitions in Kassel.