Werner Mathias Goeritz Brunner (4 April 1915,
Danzig,
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
– 4 August 1990,
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
) was a Mexican painter and sculptor of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
origin. After spending much of the 1940s in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
and Spain, he and his wife, photographer
Marianne Gast, immigrated to Mexico in 1949.
Early life and education
Mathias Goeritz was born in
Danzig,
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in 1915 and spent his childhood in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. He began studying philosophy and the history of art at Berlin's Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität, now known as the
Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...
, in 1934.
[''Mathias Goeritz 1915-1990: El Eco: Bilder, Skulpturen, Modelle'', ed. Christian Schneegass (Berlin: Akademie der Künste, 1992), 465.] He received a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in
art history
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
from this institution in 1940.
His doctoral dissertation on the nineteenth-century German painter
Ferdinand von Rayski was published as ''Ferdinand Von Rayski und die Kunst des Neunzehnten Jahrhunderts''. During the course of his studies, Goeritz also trained as an artist at the
Kunstgewerbe- und Handwerkerschule in Berlin-Charlottenberg (Applied arts and tradesmen's school), where he studied drawing with German artists Max Kaus and
Hans Orlowski
Hans Orlowski (1 March 1894 - 3 May 1967) was a German Woodcut artist and painter.
Life
Hans Otto Orlowski was born at Insterburg, a midsized town a short distance to the east of Königsburg in East Prussia, which at that time was part of German ...
.
Career
Upon completion of his doctorate, Goeritz worked at Berlin's Nationalgalerie (National Gallery), now the
Alte Nationalgalerie
The Alte Nationalgalerie ( ''Old National Gallery'') is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin, Germany. The gallery was built from 1862 to 1876 by the order of King Frederick William IV of Prussi ...
, under the supervision of nineteenth-century art specialist
Paul Ortwin Rave.
In early 1941, in the midst of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Goeritz left Germany, settling first in
Tetuan,
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
. In 1942 he married photographer
Marianne Gast, and the couple settled in
Granada
Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
, Spain, just after the war ended in 1945.
[Olivia Zúñiga, ''Mathias Goeritz'' (México, D.F.: Editorial Intercontinental, 1963), 15.]
In June 1946, he had his first solo exhibition at the Librería-Galería Clan in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
under the pseudonym "Ma-Gó".
in 1947 the Goeritzs relocated to Madrid.
There, Goeritz developed a close friendship with Spanish sculptor
Ángel Ferrant
Ángel Ferrant Vázquez (Madrid 1890 – 1961) was an avant-garde Spanish sculptor associated with surrealism and kinetic art.
Biography and works
Son of the painter Alejandro Ferrant, he studied sculpture at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios ...
.
In the summer of 1948, Goeritz and Ferrant traveled to visit the prehistoric paintings of the
Cave of Altamira
The Cave of Altamira (; es, Cueva de Altamira ) is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contem ...
in the north of Spain, along with writer Ricardo Gullón and others. At that time Goeritz proposed the founding of an Escuela de Altamira (Altamira School), an association of artists and writers who would meet annually near the Cave, in 1948. The Escuela de Altamira would ultimately hold two meetings, in 1949 and 1950.
[''Primera Semana de Arte en Santillana del Mar: del 19 al 25 de septiembre, 1949'' (Santander: Escuela de Altamira, 1950), and ''Segunda Semana de Arte en Santillana del Mar: del 20 al 26 de septiembre, 1950'' (Santander: Escuela de Altamira, 1951).]
In 1949, Through the intervention of Mexican architect
Ignacio Díaz Morales
Ignacio is a male Spanish and Galician name originating either from the Roman family name Egnatius, meaning born from the fire, of Etruscan origin, or from the Latin name "Ignatius" from the word "Ignis" meaning "fire". This was the name of sev ...
, Goeritz was offered a job teaching art history to the students of the newly founded Escuela de Arquitectura in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
, Mexico,. In 1953 he first presented his "Manifiesto de la Arquitectura Emocional" (Emotional Architecture Manifesto) at the pre-inauguration of the
Museo Experimental El Eco
The Museo Experimental El Eco is a contemporary art gallery in the centre of Mexico City, Mexico. It was designed by sculptor Mathias Goeritz, a Mexican artist of German origin who worked closely with the Mexican architect Luis Barragán. in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, which he designed in 1952–53. During the 1950s, Goeritz also collaborated with
Luis Barragán
Luis Ramiro Barragán Morfín (March 9, 1902 – November 22, 1988) was a Mexican architect and engineer. His work has influenced contemporary architects visually and conceptually. Barragán's buildings are frequently visited by international ...
to make monumental abstract sculptures in reinforced concrete, including ''El animal del Pedregal'' (The Animal of the Pedregal, 1951) and the ''Torres de la
Ciudad Satélite
Ciudad Satélite (), commonly known as Satélite, is a Greater Mexico City upper middle class suburban area located in Naucalpan, State of Mexico. Officially, the name corresponds exclusively to the homonym neighborhood, Ciudad Satélite, found ...
'' (Towers of Satellite City, 1957).
Personal life and death
In 1942 he married photographer
Marianne Gast. He died in Mexico City on August 4, 1990.
Works and legacy
Goeritz exhibited widely in Mexico and beyond throughout his life, and had a significant influence on younger Mexican artists such as
Helen Escobedo
Helen "Elena" Escobedo (July 28, 1934 – September 16, 2010) was a Mexican sculptor and installation artist who has had work displayed all over the world from Mexico, Latin America, the United States, and Canada to the United Kingdom, (Germany) ...
and
Pedro Friedeberg
Pedro Friedeberg (born January 11, 1936) is a Mexican artist and designer known for his surrealist work filled with lines colors and ancient and religious symbols. His best known piece is the “Hand-Chair” a sculpture/chair designed for people ...
.
* ''El animal del Pedregal'' (The Animal of Pedregal, 1951), sculpture in reinforced concrete, Jardines de Pedregal de San Ángel, Mexico City.
* ''Los amantes'' (The Lovers), sculpture at the Hotel Presidente, Acapulco.
* ''El bailarín'' (The Dancer).
* ''La mano divina'' (The Divine Hand) and ''La mano codiciosa'' (The Covetous Hand), reliefs in the Iglesia de San Lorenzo, Mexico City.
* El Eco Museo Experimental ("El Eco" Experimental Museum, 1953), Mexico City.
* ''El Pájaro Amarillo'' (The Yellow Bird, 1957) Colonia
Jardines del Bosque, Guadalajara.
*
Torres de la Ciudad Satélite (Towers of Satellite City, 1957) with
Luis Barragán
Luis Ramiro Barragán Morfín (March 9, 1902 – November 22, 1988) was a Mexican architect and engineer. His work has influenced contemporary architects visually and conceptually. Barragán's buildings are frequently visited by international ...
.
* Stained Glass windows for the cathedrals of Mexico City and
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D.
The na ...
, the churches of Santiago
Tlatelolco and
Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco ( nci, Āzcapōtzalco , , from ''wikt:azcapotzalli, āzcapōtzalli'' “anthill” + ''wikt:-co, -co'' “place”; literally, “In the place of the anthills”) is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') i ...
, and the Maguén-David synagogue, Mexico City.
* Coordination of the sculptures of the
Ruta de la Amistad
Ruta de la Amistad (English: Friendship Route) is a sculpture corridor in Mexico City located along the southern section of the Anillo Periférico highway. The route was inaugurated in 1968 as part of 1968 Summer Olympics, that year Summer Olympics ...
(Route of Friendship), a major project of the Cultural Program of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
* ''Osa Mayor'' (Ursa Major, 1968), Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City.
* ''Torres de Automex'' (Automex Towers, 1963–64), Carretera de Toluca.
* ''Pirámide de Mixcoac'' (Mixcoac Pyramid, 1971), Mexico City.
* Murals for the
Arco Tower
ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States and ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States, 1970.
* ''Corona de Bambi'' and ''
Espacio Escultórico'' (Sculpture Space, 1979),
Ciudad Universitaria,
UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...
, Mexico City.
* ''Laberinto de Jerusalén'' (Jerusalem Labyrinth), 1978-1980.
*Massive bronze entry door for the John Lautner-designed residence "Marbrisa", Acapulco, 1973
See also
*
List of people from Danzig
References
Further reading
* Olivia Zúñiga, ''Mathias Goeritz'' (México, D.F.: Editorial Intercontinental, 1963), English edition published 1964
* ''Mathias Goeritz 1915-1990: El Eco: Bilder, Skulpturen, Modelle'', ed. Christian Schneegass (Berlin: Akademie der Künste, 1992 (in German)
* ''Mathias Goeritz, 1915-1990: Monographie mit Werkverzeichnis'' (Tuduv-Studien), Elke Werry (Author) 1994 (in German)
* ''Conversaciones con Mathias Goeritz'', Mario Monteforte Toledo (Author) 1993 (in Spanish)
* Artspawn
"Biography of Mathias_Goeritz" ''Biographical information about Mathias_Goeritz on Artspawn''.
*Jürgen Claus, "Mathias Goeritz", in: "Liebe die Kunst. Eine Autobiografie in einundzwanzig Begegnungen", Kerber Verlag/ZKM, 2013,
External links
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goeritz, Mathias
1915 births
1990 deaths
Artists from Gdańsk
Artists from Berlin
20th-century Mexican painters
20th-century German male artists
Mexican male painters
Mexican sculptors
Male sculptors
German emigrants to Mexico
Artists from Guadalajara, Jalisco
People from West Prussia
20th-century German sculptors
German male sculptors
20th-century Mexican male artists