Peter Krausz (born 1946) is a Romanian-born Canadian artist. Throughout his career, he worked within the fields of painting, drawing, installation, and photography and, since 1970, exhibited in museums and galleries across Canada, the United States, and Europe. He is best known for large-scale landscape paintings of the Mediterranean.
Krausz's landscapes, described as "spaces halfway between the real and the imaginary",
[ convey man's interrelationship with nature. Identified by translucent, egg-tempera color and ''secco'' technique, in a review of the ''(No) Man's Land'' exhibition at Forum Gallery, Los Angeles, '' ARTnews'' critic Richard Chang noted, "a luminosity that captured crisp light and clean shadows spreading across the island."][Chang, Richard. "Peter Krausz, Forum Los Angeles." ''ARTnews''. Apr 2009. 116. Print.]
Born in Brașov, Romania, in 1946,["Peter Krausz." ''Art-History Concordia'']
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/ref> Krausz pursued art encouraged by his parents, artist and art-educator Tiberiu Krausz, and Judith Krausz, an art historian.["Peter Krausz No Man's Land." Documentary by Doina Harap. 2009. Video.] From 1964 to 1969, he studied drawing, painting and mural techniques at the Nicolae Grigorescu Fine Arts Institute in Bucharest.["Bio." ''Peter Krausz']
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/ref>["New Show at MBAS: Peter Krausz, 2003-2013: un survol." ''Township Heritage Web Magazine''. 13 Sep 2013]
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/ref> In 1969 Krausz and his parents fled Communist Romania
The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...
through Czechoslovakia and Austria into Italy.[Castle, Frederick Ted. "Peter Krausz at 49th Parallel." ''Art in America''. Sep 1991. 138. Print.] Described as a "flight toward the unknown" and "escape across a Cold-War border", this event inspired the ''Berlin Series'' (1988) and ''(No) Man's Land'' series (2009-2014).["Peter Krausz, 2003-2013: un survol." ''Musee des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke]
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/ref>[ After a year in Rome, Krausz and his family emigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1970. He exhibited there that same year, and solo exhibitions of his work were held at Galerie Malborough-Godard in 1976 and at Galerie Theo Waddington in 1979.][ From 1980 to 1990, Krausz was curator of the ]Saidye Bronfman Centre
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts, formerly the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts, is a theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 5170 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâc ...
Art Gallery and taught in the Fine Arts Department of Concordia University
Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
.[ In 1991, he joined the faculty of the Université de Montréal, and is a tenured Professor of Fine Art in the Art History and Cinema Studies Department.][
]
Career highlights
In 1984, Krausz participated in the important exhibitions ''Montréal tout-terrain'', and ''Vent et eau'' at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, organized by Centre international d'art contemporain de Montréal (CIAC). Solo exhibitions of his work held at the Montreal artist-run galleries Optica and Articule, drew favorable press. In 1987 at the CIAC's exhibition ''Stations'', Krausz exhibited an installation and 70-foot drawing ''Archipelago'', inspired by Varlam Shalamov’s memoire of 22-years of forced labor in the Soviet Gulag ''Kolyma''. In 1989 this installation and the ''Berlin Series'' which referenced the construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
, were exhibited in a solo show at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ontario.["Campbell, James D. ''Peter Krausz Sites 1984-1989.'' Oshawa, Ontario: Robert McLaughlin Gallery. 1989. 47. Print.] In 1991, Krausz’s solo exhibition, ''Journeys'' at 49th Parallel Gallery in New York, was reviewed favorably by Frederick Ted Castle in ''Art in America
''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It i ...
''.[ This exhibition included the 14-painting series ''Night Train'', inspired by Claude Lanzmann's documentary ''Shoah'', now in the collection of the Jewish Museum (Manhattan). In 1992 Krausz’s installation ''Traces-mémoire'' was exhibited at the Centre d’art contemporain in Montpellier, France. Also exhibited in Montreal, the installation consisted of 250 lead panels, each etched with a name of a French town and date, from 535 to 1990, associated with an anti-Semitic event.][Fortin, Jocelyne. "Landscape According to Peter Krausz." ''Le paysage selon Peter Krausz.'' Montreal: Musée Régional de Rimouski, 2004. 48. Print. ]
Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Eastern Bloc, Krausz turned to landscape.[Fortin, Jocelyne. "Landscape According to Peter Krausz." ''Le paysage selon Peter Krausz.'' Montreal: Musée Régional de Rimouski, 2004. 42. Print. ] Solo exhibitions held at the Musée d’art de Joliette in 1990, and a subsequent series ''The Song of the Earth'', exhibited in 2004 at the Musée Régional de Rimouski, established Krausz’s critical reputation.["Bio-CV." ''Peter Krausz']
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/ref> Krausz also exhibited large-scale drawings including portraits at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2013, and in Toronto at Mira Godard Gallery in 2012 and 2015, and John B. Aird Gallery in 2015.
Techniques
Throughout his career, Krausz explored a variety of painting and drawing techniques, mediums and
surfaces including stretched and unstretched canvas and sculpted wood.["Campbell, James D. ''Peter Krausz Sites 1984-1989.'' Oshawa, Ontario: Robert McLaughlin Gallery. 1989. 9. Print.] In an early Optica exhibition, his concern for drawing and its integration within painting was noted.["Campbell, James D. ''Peter Krausz Sites 1984-1989.'' Oshawa, Ontario: Robert McLaughlin Gallery. 1989. 12. Print.] He explored various painting mediums and used iron-oxide pigment on a wet clay surface for ''Archipelago'' (1987), oil and tar for ''August 13, 1961'' (1988) of the ''Berlin Series'', and oil on oxidized copper for the ''Night Train'' (1988) series. During the 1990s, Krausz also experimented with pigments suspended in an egg-based emulsion on various surfaces, and developed a unique ''secco'' technique using a dry surface primed with marble powder and acrylic gels.[ His ''(No) Man’s Land'' series (2009-2014) included egg tempera on ''secco'' paintings as well as panels painted with oil and tar, similar to ''Paysages'' (1986) or the ''Berlin Series'' (1988).]
Recognition and contribution
Early in his career, Krausz's work drew attention for its political iconography and illustration of
"the abuses, subjugation and suffering stemming from totalitarism". In 1989, at the time of the Robert McLaughlin Gallery exhibition, art historian James D. Campbell wrote that Krausz "is above all, a humanist and his continuing attempts at commemoration — both vehemently personal and unavoidably universal — have a deeply felt and humanizing focus." In his review of Krausz's 1991 ''Journeys'' exhibition published in ''Art in America
''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It i ...
'', Frederick Ted Castle wrote, "Peter Krausz takes trips that are calculated to remind us that isolation—and brutalization—are human experiences that know no historical period, no geographical area nor cultural configuration, and his souvenirs make effective art." Since the mid 1990s, Krausz's ''secco'' landscape series has been praised for their subtle, commemorative messaging and meditative, yet disquieting beauty. For '' ARTnews'' reviewer Richard Chang, his work "offered a serene meditation on nature and of how humans have imprinted it with boundaries."[ As a contemporary artist working within a classic medium, curator Jocelyne Fortin of the Musée Régional de Rimouski credits Krausz for "breathing new life" into landscape and for shaping "it into a unique and stunning style." For her, "Peter Krausz has invented a highly colourful and emotional wordless language."
In recognition of his artistic accomplishments, Krausz was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 2011. His work was the subject of several documentaries including Doina Harap's ''Peter Krausz No Mans Land'' (2009) which premiered at the ''Festival international du film sur l'art'' (Montreal). During his career, he was awarded multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, as well as won four "integration of art within architecture" competitions including a mural for the Pointe-à-Callière Museum (Montreal).]["Krausz, Peter (1946)." ''Historical Dictionary of Quebec Sculpture in the 20th Century.'' Espace magazine]
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/ref> Krausz has also served on juries for the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts
The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are annual awards for achievements in visual and media arts in Canada. Up to eight awards are presented annually with the prize amount is $25,000
Created in 2000 by then Governor General Ad ...
, Canada Council for the Arts, Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec as well as the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
His work is found in the permanent collection of Canada Council for the Arts Art Bank, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Lethbridge Art Gallery, the Jewish Museum (Manhattan), Arkansas Art Centre, and Artothèque (Montpellier, France). His work is included in the collections of the Department of External Affairs of Canada, the Montreal Arts Council, Musée d’archéologie Pointe-à-Callière, Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, Musée d'art de Joliette, Musée des Beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, and Musée Régional de Rimouski. His work is also found in the corporate collections of Air Canada, Astral Media, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bell Canada, Bombardier, Cirque du Soleil, Citibank, Royal Bank of Canada, Sun Life of Canada, and Teleglobe Canada.
References
External links
* "CCCA Artist Profile: Peter Krausz." ''Concordia University''
Timeline.
* "Peter Krausz." ''The Robert McLaughlin Gallery'' (Oshawa ON)
Collection.
* "Peter Krausz No Man's Land." Documentary by Doina Harap." ''Vimeo''
English Video (52 minutes.
* "Peter Krausz No Man's Land de Doina Harap." Documentary segment. ''Video femmes''
English Video Segment.
*"Peter Krausz, un artiste sans frontières." ''Université de Montréal'
French Video.
* "Peter Krausz." ''CIAC-Centre international d'art contemporain de Montréal''
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* "Krausz, Peter (1946)." ''Historical Dictionary of Quebec Sculpture in the 20th Century.'' Espace magazine. *http://dictionnaire.espaceartactuel.com/en/artistes/krausz-peter-1946/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krausz, Peter
20th-century Canadian painters
Canadian male painters
21st-century Canadian painters
Artists from Montreal
1946 births
Living people
People from Brașov
Université de Montréal faculty
Romanian emigrants to Canada
20th-century Canadian male artists
21st-century Canadian male artists
Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
Canadian collage artists