Hans Matthäus Bachmayer Biography - Infos for Sellers and Buyers

Hans Matthäus Bachmayer

Bayersoien 1940

Hans Matthäus Bachmayer was born on September 18, 1940 in Bayersoien, Bavaria. After an apprenticeship as wood sculptor in Oberammergau from 1954 to 1958, Bachmayer decided to study at the Munich 'Akademie für Bildende Künste'. His main focus here was on sculpture. During his studies the artist joined the 'Wir' group of artists including Reinhold Heller, Florian Köhler, Heino Naujoks and Helmut Rieger. In April 1965 the groups 'Wir' and 'Spur' cooperated and in spring 1966 joined forces, then calling themselves 'Geflecht'. This group's dynamism was discharged in so-called 'anti-objects'. These are relief-like structures of color rimmed, bent wires and plates in front of a colorfully painted backgrounds. The 'Geflecht'-artists explained these objects as follows: "Painting and sculpture or color form a unity, they define each other in the process of creation and thus become inseparable. The result is a colored dimensional meshwork: the anti-object. Space can be read in time." The exterior shape of objects was not considered binding for the design of the environment but the process of its creation. In 1967 the group dissolved. The follow-up group 'Kollektiv Herzogstraße' was active until 1982. Bachmayer also belonged to this group. From 1975 to 1981 Bachmayer studied philosophy and sociology in Frankfurt and Munich graduating with a doctorate in philosophy. In 1981 the artist received the 'Kunstförderpreis' of the city of Munich. The artist created large-format expressive paintings. His sculptures consist of individual pieces of wood, most of which he found, stuck together to form bizarre figure constructions. The expressive coloring of the rough materials created an interesting tension between color and form.