translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
140408: Wien Museum Karlsplatz: Christian Skrein - Late Sixties
Wien Museum Karlsplatz: Christian Skrein – Late Sixties
Three days ‘68
He only had three months of training and then worked as a photojournalist for the magazines Stern, Quick, and then even for Vogue at the young age of 18. “It was not that difficult to become a society star in Vienna during the sixties”, Christian Skrein explained. Just like today you had to have sufficient knowledge regarding the insider’s codes of aesthetics, adopt them appropriately, and then mediate them with the right dose of exclusivity. Fashion, art, and pop were his main subjects and his inspiring role model was David Hemmings in Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Blow Up”.
Sean Connery at the Vienna Airport, the Beatles in Obertauern, the Stones performing at Vienna’s event centre Stadthalle – unbelievable how much was going on in Vienna at that time. Hans Hollein furnished posh boutiques, Oswald Wiener, Arnulf Rainer, Hundertwasser in bath robes and Attersee, styled like Jim Morrison, posing to shock the bourgeoisie, while the women in his photographs were mostly beautiful and mainly models.
Skrein’s work, created between 1965 and 1970, depicts a Vienna, which was not as bleak and grey during the post-war years, as it was often described. The exhibit with its reading-lounge and psychedelic ORF (Austrian TV) clips is equally recommendable as the photo book published by the Brandstätter-Verlag “My Way”. The publication amends the exhibit and includes Skrein’s early and experimental works as well as his deadpan commentaries. That’s how cool Vienna was.
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Wien, Karlsplatz until 11.05.08
www.wienmuseum.at
140408
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Wien, Karlsplatz
Tel: +43 1 5058747-0, Fax: +43 1 5058747-7201
Email:
http://www.wienmuseum.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di-So 10.00-18.00 Uhr
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Wien, Karlsplatz
Tel: +43 1 5058747-0, Fax: +43 1 5058747-7201
Email:
http://www.wienmuseum.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di-So 10.00-18.00 Uhr