translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
081208: Leopold Museum: Christian Schad – Retrospective
Leopold Museum: Christian Schad – Retrospective
Sonja with an ear
Museum director Leopold’s passion for works that have been misjudged until now is well known, and often times it would not have mattered much if these works had remained in their depots. But in the extensive exhibit of Christian Shad’s works, one discovers bewildering new facets. Until now he was not only known as an artist of the “New Objectivity”, but also as the initiator of the so-called Shadographies, closely related to the Man Ray’s photograms or Rayographs. Schad is seen here as the blessed Dadaist and friend of Walter Serners (who produced amazing assemblages before van Arp), Kubo-Futurist, Rayonnist, Expressionist, and Verist. And one cannot claim that this is imitative, even if he flirted extensively with Geroge Grosz’s and Otto Dix’s style of painting. In the 1930’s Schad’s portrait style softened and became more old-masterly, and during the Nazi regime he created cover pages with portraits of actresses for “Moderne Welt” and “Die Dame”.
And then his late works! He created top class collages and a kind of symbolic-fantastic Surrealism, which Cocteau, Picasso, and Matisse would have enjoyed – or maybe not.
His fabulous portraits created during the 1920’s, starring Maika and Sonja, “noble-supporting actor” and secretary, self-assured in their emancipated metropolitan-existence. In these portraits Sonja was intellectually knighted by Max Herrmann-Neißes’ ear and baldhead in the background, and Maika had a Schad-tattoo on the crook of her arm. Can one wish for a better form of immortality?
Leopold Museum
1070 Vienna, Museumsquartier, until 06.01.09
www.leopoldsmuseum.org
Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville
081208
Leopold Museum
1070 Wien, Museumsquartier
Tel: +43 1 525 70-0, Fax: +43 1 525 70-1500
Email: leopoldmuseum@leopoldmuseum.org
http://www.leopoldmuseum.org
Öffnungszeiten: Mi-So 10-18 h
Leopold Museum
1070 Wien, Museumsquartier
Tel: +43 1 525 70-0, Fax: +43 1 525 70-1500
Email: leopoldmuseum@leopoldmuseum.org
http://www.leopoldmuseum.org
Öffnungszeiten: Mi-So 10-18 h