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ART&DESIGN

WalterPichler,anArtistWhoBuckedthe
StatusQuo,Diesat75
ByDENISEGRADY JULY28,2012
WalterPichler,anarchitectwhobecamealeadingartistinAustriaspostwaravant
gardemovement,eventuallydistancinghimselffromtheartestablishmentby
movingtoafarmandcreatingworksmainlytopleasehimself,diedonJuly16athis
homeinBurgenland,Austria.Hewas75.

Thecausewascancer,saidhisassistant,AloisHrtl.

Mr.Pichlerwasasculptorandillustratorwhoseworksincludedawhite,
torpedoshapedhelmetwithatelevisioninsideit(PortableLivingRoom),arusty
bedframesupportingahumanoidformdividedbysheetsofjaggedglass,and
numerousdrawingsandmodelsoffantasticalstructures,amongthemfloatingcities
andundergroundbuildings.

Hisarchitecturaldrawingswerenotjustplanstheywerealsoworksofartin
andofthemselves.Otherimagesdreamdrawings,ashecalledthemwere
darkandpsychologicallyloaded.Hisfigureswereoftenskeletalorrobotic.

Intheearly1960shewasoneofasmallgroupofAustrianarchitectswhotook
avisionaryapproachandmadeimagesofarchitecturethatcompletelydefiedthe
statusquo,saidBarryBergdoll,thechiefcuratorofarchitectureanddesignatthe
MuseumofModernArt,whichowns16ofMr.Pichlersdrawings.Thegroupalso
includedthearchitectsHansHolleinandRaimundAbraham,whowoninternational
renown.

Thegroupsdrawingsandmodelschallengedmodernistarchitecture,which
emphasizedfunctionandoftenproducedstarkbuildingsdevoidofornamentation
anddominatedbyconcreteandmetal.

Theybegantoexploretheemotionalresonancesofarchitecture,Mr.Bergdollsaid.
Abuildingmighttellastory,ratherthanjustbeafunction.Mr.Pichlerliked
designingbuildingsthatwerenevergoingtobebuilt.

Inanessay,hewrote,thisiswhatwereproacharchitecturalfunctionalism
with:itnolongerfunctions.Heproclaimed,WhatIcallforisanarchitecture
9whichfascinates.
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 WalterPichlerwasbornonOct.1,1936,inDeutschnofen,northernItaly.He
studiedartattheHochschulefrArchitekturinViennaandbeganworkingasan
architectinthe1950s.

Intheearly1970s,afteraflurryofshowsinEuropeandtheUnitedStates
broughthiminternationalacclaim,Mr.PichlermovedtoBurgenland,acornerof
easternAustrianearHungary,SloveniaandSlovakia,awayfromtheworldof
galleries,museums,exhibitions,artcriticsandcollectors.Therehedidwhatis
widelyviewedashisbestandmostimportantwork.

Heboughtalittlefarmthere,andinoneofthebuildingshediscoveredalittle
figurethatwaswrappedingauzeIthink,aChristfigure,saidBarbaraGladstone,
owneroftheGladstoneGalleryinManhattan,whichhasshownhiswork.Hewas
inspiredtomakeakindofaltarforit,togiveitaspecialplace.

Mr.Pichlerconvertedafarmbuildingtohousethefigureandthenbegan
alteringtheotherhalfdozenorsooutbuildingsontheproperty,installingoneofhis
ownsculpturesineach.Oneiscomposedoftwolarge,cylindricalconcrete
containerswithasystemofguttersthatcollectanddisgorgewater.Thesculptures
andthebuildingsthatshelteredthembecamehislifeswork.

Theworkswereverypolished,dark,ominous,mechanical,Ms.Gladstone
said,likeningsometoDarthVader,thevillainintheStarWarsmovies.

Hereallybuiltthesesculpturesforhimself,Ms.Gladstonesaid.Hedidnt
wanttocompromiseanything,andifheworkedforhimself,hedidnthaveto.

Mr.Pichlerissurvivedbyhiswife,Elfi,andhisdaughter,AnnaTripamer.

Herefusedtosellthesculpturesfromthefarmbutsometimeslentthemoutfor
shows.Ms.Gladstone,whohadseenhisworkinashowatMoMA,traveledto
Viennainthehopethathewouldallowhertoexhibithisdrawings.Shefoundhimto
beserious,formal,elegantlydressedandnoteasilypersuadedtopartwithhis
drawings,shesaid.

Hewasalwayssurprisedwhensomeonewantedtoshowthem,shesaid.The
commercialworldwasnotsomethinghewentafter.

AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonJuly29,2012,onPageA22oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:WalterPichler,75,anArtistWhoBuckedtheStatusQuo.

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