FRANZ GERTSCH
BLOW UP. A RETROSPECTIVE

Franz Gertsch (1930–2022) is among the most important Swiss contemporary artists. With his works in the second half of the 20th century, he helped shape a new concept of realism that is closely tied to his working method. He is recognized as a pioneer of hyperrealism, as well as a master of contemporary woodcutting.

After beginning his career in romantic painting, from 1965 on Franz Gertsch transitioned through collages in the style of Pop Art to his large-scale photorealistic paintings and woodcuts, for which he is now internationally known. Using photographic templates and by projecting slides onto the canvas, which he then artistically transformed, he created large, realistic paintings.

In his unmistakable works, Franz Gertsch worked with artisanal perfection with close-up views and distant effects, abstraction and figuration, approaching reality in a very particular way that always retains something mysterious. Until the end, he remained faithful to painting based on photography. Moreover, in woodcutting, Gertsch successfully translated his photographic templates in such a way that they stand on par with his paintings.

This retrospective exhibition was realized by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark, in close collaboration with the artist, who sadly passed away in December 2022, and his family, as well as with substantial support from the Franz Gertsch Museum in Burgdorf. It provides a comprehensive overview of Gertsch’s versatile and impressive body of work, highlighting important milestones and recurring themes through selected works. On display are monumental group pictures, portraits, oversized views of nature, and landscapes from more than 60 years of artistic creation. A selection of the artist’s large-scale woodcuts will accompany and complement the paintings.

In collaboration with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark
Curator: Kirsten Degel, Curator and Head of Collection, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art