Otto Piene Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Otto Piene was a visionary German artist whose innovative works shaped the landscape of art in the Post-War era. Born in 1928 in Laasphe, Germany, Piene's early experiences during World War II profoundly influenced his artistic vision. He co-founded the ZERO group in 1957 with Heinz Mack, later joined by Günther Uecker, aiming to form a new artistic language that utilised light, movement, and space. Piene's exploration of light, fire, and air as mediums created groundbreaking works that continue to resonate in Contemporary Art practices globally.

Piene’s career is marked by unrelenting innovation and a desire to explore the intersection of art and technology. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Piene began experimenting with light sculptures and kinetic art, which became central themes in his work.

Printmaking is an extension of Piene's broader artistic practice, reflecting his fascination with light, colour, and the natural elements. The 1972 screenprint Schwarze Iris exemplifies his innovative approach to combining technology with organic forms. The print's bright colour palette, ranging from fiery reds to deep blues, captures a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The central abstract form, resembling an iris, resembles a fluid pool of liquid, encapsulating Piene's interest in the transformative power of light and his dedication to creating immersive visual experiences. This print, like much of his work, challenges traditional boundaries, blending the realms of science, art, and nature.

One of Piene's most significant contributions to Contemporary Art is his concept of Sky Art, where he used the sky as a canvas for large-scale, ephemeral artworks involving balloons, kites, and light. This was part of his broader interest in creating art that interacts with its environment, challenging the boundaries of traditional gallery spaces. His Light Ballets, kinetic sculptures that manipulated light to create dynamic forms, were equally innovative.

Piene’s work has been exhibited globally, including a retrospective at the Centre for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT, where he served as director from 1974 to 1994. His contributions to the 1972 Munich Olympics and his presence at the prestigious documenta exhibitions in Kassel further cemented his status as a pivotal figure in Post-War Art.

From the inception of ZERO in 1957, Piene's fascination with light led him to the innovative use of the raster screen. This technique involved pressing oil paint through cardboard and metal screens onto paper and canvas, creating his signature Rasterbilder. Over nearly sixty years, Piene expanded this method into various mediums, including light installations and ceramics. His late ceramic works, referred to as “heavy images”, directly echoed his early raster paintings, bringing new dimensionality and tactile quality to his exploration of light and material.
Piene's groundbreaking Sky Art, a term he coined in 1969, found one of its most famous expressions during the closing ceremony of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He created the Olympic Rainbow, a sky-based artwork composed of five helium-filled polythene tubes, each 600 metres long, stretching across the sky in vibrant colors. This monumental work exemplified Piene's ability to use urban landscapes as integral components of his artistic vision, blurring the lines between natural phenomena and human creativity.
Rauchbild, created by literally burning the canvas, is a powerful testament to Piene's innovative spirit and the experimental ethos of the ZERO Movement. Set against a striking red background, the charred remnants on the canvas encapsulate the group's radical departure from traditional art forms. This body of work reflects Piene's deep engagement with elemental forces and his desire to explore the interplay between nature, technology, and art. The burned surface captures a moment of transformation, embodying Piene's vision of art as a medium for new beginnings and experimentation.