Josef Mikl (August 8, 1929 – March 29, 2008) was an
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n abstract painter of the Informal style.
Biography
Born in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
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, timezone = CET
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, timezone_DST ...
, he received his first training at the Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, studying at the prominent Viennese academy from 1949 to 1956 under
Josef Dobrovský
Josef Dobrovský (17 August 1753 – 6 January 1829) was a Czech philologist and historian, one of the most important figures of the Czech National Revival along with Josef Jungmann.
Life and work
Dobrovský was born at Balassagyarmat, Nógr ...
.
Collaborating with
Friedensreich Hundertwasser
Friedrich Stowasser (15 December 1928 – 19 February 2000), better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser (), was an Austrian visual artist and architect who also worked in the field of environmental protection ...
at the Vienna Art Club, Mikl later was a member of the Galerie St. Stephan group.
[ In 1968 Mikl, well known in Austria, represented his home country at the 34th Biennale in ]Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
.[
Classified as an Informal and Modernist artist, Mikl himself despised his artwork being placed under a specific label, calling it "an insult" in an undated interview.][ He worked in oil, pastels and water colors, as well as sculptures and drawings that either stood alone or served as illustrations in a book or decorations in a church.][ Mikl is best known for renovating the Redoutensaal in Vienna's Imperial Palace after it was destroyed in a 1992 fire.][ The hall once served as a venue for the first performance of ]Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
's 8th Symphony as well as a summit between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita S. Krushchev and was reopened in 1997 with vibrant reds and yellows depicting notable themes and figures of Austrian literature, all of Mikl's design.[
Josef Mikl died of cancer on March 29, 2008.][ His funeral was held on April 3 though his death was not announced until the next day, in accordance with Mikl's wishes.][ Survivors include his wife, Brigitte Bruckner, and their 20-year-old daughter Anna Mikl.][
]
Honours and awards
*Award from the City of Vienna (1955)
*City of Vienna Prize for Visual Arts, Painting and Graphics (1973)
*Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system.
History
The "Austrian D ...
(1990)
* Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (2004)
*Ring of Honour of Vienna (2004)
References
External links
The Guardian: Josef Mikl, Austrian abstract artist who brought radical influences to his country after the war
1929 births
2008 deaths
Artists from Vienna
20th-century Austrian painters
Austrian male painters
21st-century Austrian painters
21st-century male artists
Recipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Austrian contemporary artists
Burials at Döbling Cemetery
20th-century Austrian male artists
{{Austria-painter-stub