Fred THIELER (1916-1999), Untitled; 1956

paper; 52 x 32 72 x 50
Signature p.d: FThieler

Fred Thieler was one of the most important representatives of German Art Informel, including lyrical and expressive abstraction. The artist's paintings displayed the fluidity of the medium through long, dramatic brushstrokes and patches of pigment, creating an impression of movement on the canvas.For Thieler, it was important to strive for creative freedom as well as a free and open reception of his paintings by the viewer. For the artist, painting is a liberation from constraints and an expression of freedom and assertiveness of one's own position. He rejected an unambiguous interpretation of a painting and denied any intention of wanting to influence the viewer. Born as Fritz Wilhelm Richard Thieler in 1916 in Königsberg. the artist was drafted into the German army in 1939. Learning of his Jewish background, the Nazis released the artist from military service. After his discharge from the army, he co-founded the underground resistance movement in Munich. After World War II, Thieler received formal training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he became a member of the Zen 49 group of abstract painters, working with artists Fritz Winter , Willi Baumeister and Rupprecht Geiger . In 1991 he founded the Fred Thieler Prize for Painting, a biennial award for young painters given by the Berlinische Galerie. His works can be seen at the Berlinische Galerie in Berlin and the Daimler Art Collection in Berlin, among others.