This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/arts/design/gustav-metzger-dead-auto-destructive-artist.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Gustav Metzger, ‘Auto-Destructive Art’ Provocateur, Dies at 90 Gustav Metzger, ‘Auto-Destructive Art’ Provocateur, Dies at 90
(1 day later)
Gustav Metzger, a German-born artist and political radical whose entire career consisted of pointed attacks on the capitalist system, the commodification of art and organized power, died on March 1 at his home in London. He was 90.Gustav Metzger, a German-born artist and political radical whose entire career consisted of pointed attacks on the capitalist system, the commodification of art and organized power, died on March 1 at his home in London. He was 90.
The death was confirmed by his publicist, Erica Bolton.The death was confirmed by his publicist, Erica Bolton.
Mr. Metzger, who went to England in 1939 as a young refugee from Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport train, first became known as the theorist of “auto-destructive art.” In one of the manifestoes he began issuing in 1959, he described it as “an art that re-enacts the obsession with destruction, the pummeling to which individuals and masses are subjected.”Mr. Metzger, who went to England in 1939 as a young refugee from Nazi Germany on a Kindertransport train, first became known as the theorist of “auto-destructive art.” In one of the manifestoes he began issuing in 1959, he described it as “an art that re-enacts the obsession with destruction, the pummeling to which individuals and masses are subjected.”
At the Temple Galley in London in 1960, he demonstrated the concept by applying hydrochloric acid to a nylon canvas with a special paintbrush, causing it to shred.At the Temple Galley in London in 1960, he demonstrated the concept by applying hydrochloric acid to a nylon canvas with a special paintbrush, causing it to shred.
“I was very aggressive putting the acid onto that nylon,” he told Julia Peyton-Jones, the director of the Serpentine Gallery in London, which organized a five-decade retrospective of his work in 2009. “It was partly me attacking the system of capitalism, but inevitably also the systems of war, the warmongers, and destroying them in a sense symbolically.”“I was very aggressive putting the acid onto that nylon,” he told Julia Peyton-Jones, the director of the Serpentine Gallery in London, which organized a five-decade retrospective of his work in 2009. “It was partly me attacking the system of capitalism, but inevitably also the systems of war, the warmongers, and destroying them in a sense symbolically.”
Mr. Metzger later conceived of several large-scale self-destructive works, such as a sculpture of five walls, each consisting of 10,000 geometrical forms, that would disappear as a computer randomly ejected the forms, one by one, over a period of 10 years.Mr. Metzger later conceived of several large-scale self-destructive works, such as a sculpture of five walls, each consisting of 10,000 geometrical forms, that would disappear as a computer randomly ejected the forms, one by one, over a period of 10 years.
In the 1970s, for an exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, he outlined a project he called “The Years Without Art — 1977-1980.” It called for a three-year cessation of all art activity everywhere, by artists, art magazines and art galleries, to bring the commercial art system to a halt. He managed to recruit only himself.In the 1970s, for an exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, he outlined a project he called “The Years Without Art — 1977-1980.” It called for a three-year cessation of all art activity everywhere, by artists, art magazines and art galleries, to bring the commercial art system to a halt. He managed to recruit only himself.
Mr. Metzger’s ideas made a big impression on the rock guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, who attended one of the artist’s lectures in 1962 when he was a student at Ealing School of Art in London. He later applied the concept of destructive art during concerts by his band, the Who, smashing his guitar and amplifiers onstage.Mr. Metzger’s ideas made a big impression on the rock guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, who attended one of the artist’s lectures in 1962 when he was a student at Ealing School of Art in London. He later applied the concept of destructive art during concerts by his band, the Who, smashing his guitar and amplifiers onstage.
“I was doing my first gig with The Who,” Mr. Townshend told The Guardian in 1998. “I took it as an excuse to smash my new Rickenbacker that I had just hocked myself to the eyebrows to buy. I really believed it was my responsibility to start a rock band that would only last three months, an auto-destructive rock group. The Who would have been the first punk band except that we had a hit.” “I was doing my first gig with the Who,” Mr. Townshend told The Guardian in 1998. “I took it as an excuse to smash my new Rickenbacker that I had just hocked myself to the eyebrows to buy. I really believed it was my responsibility to start a rock band that would only last three months, an auto-destructive rock group. The Who would have been the first punk band except that we had a hit.”
Gustav Metzger was born on April 10, 1926, in Nuremberg, Germany. He was the youngest child of Juda and Fanny Metzger, Jewish immigrants from Poland, who, like many of his family members, were deported to Poland after 1938 and perished in concentration camps. He and his brother Max were taken to England, where two of his sisters, Klara and Erna, also made their way via Scandinavia after escaping from Poland. He leaves no immediate survivors.Gustav Metzger was born on April 10, 1926, in Nuremberg, Germany. He was the youngest child of Juda and Fanny Metzger, Jewish immigrants from Poland, who, like many of his family members, were deported to Poland after 1938 and perished in concentration camps. He and his brother Max were taken to England, where two of his sisters, Klara and Erna, also made their way via Scandinavia after escaping from Poland. He leaves no immediate survivors.
Mr. Metzger was a committed radical by his teens and for a time lived in an anarchist commune near Bristol. “In the early 1940s I planned to be a full-time revolutionary who would move around like they did in Russia,” he told Arts Monthly in 1999. “I really meant this and was preparing myself for a kind of martyrdom — possibly even death by firing squad.”Mr. Metzger was a committed radical by his teens and for a time lived in an anarchist commune near Bristol. “In the early 1940s I planned to be a full-time revolutionary who would move around like they did in Russia,” he told Arts Monthly in 1999. “I really meant this and was preparing myself for a kind of martyrdom — possibly even death by firing squad.”
Instead, he studied cabinetmaking at a technical school in Leeds and found work in a furniture factory. He then attended art schools in England and Belgium, most notably the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University), where he studied with the avant-gardist David Bomberg.Instead, he studied cabinetmaking at a technical school in Leeds and found work in a furniture factory. He then attended art schools in England and Belgium, most notably the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University), where he studied with the avant-gardist David Bomberg.
Mr. Metzger worked for several years as a junk dealer in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, where he became involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and developed his theory of auto-destructive art. In 1961, he helped found the Committee of 100, an antiwar group that favored nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience. He was among the 32 members of the group, including Bertrand Russell, who were arrested and imprisoned before a demonstration in September 1961.Mr. Metzger worked for several years as a junk dealer in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, where he became involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and developed his theory of auto-destructive art. In 1961, he helped found the Committee of 100, an antiwar group that favored nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience. He was among the 32 members of the group, including Bertrand Russell, who were arrested and imprisoned before a demonstration in September 1961.
In the mid-1960s, he experimented with heat-sensitive gels to produce some of the first psychedelic light shows, which he staged at a concert by Cream, the Who and the Move in 1966. That year he organized the Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS) in London, which attracted Viennese Actionists and members of the Fluxus movement, including Yoko Ono, and planted the seed for kinetic art, happenings and performance art in Britain.In the mid-1960s, he experimented with heat-sensitive gels to produce some of the first psychedelic light shows, which he staged at a concert by Cream, the Who and the Move in 1966. That year he organized the Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS) in London, which attracted Viennese Actionists and members of the Fluxus movement, including Yoko Ono, and planted the seed for kinetic art, happenings and performance art in Britain.
Although he did not own a telephone, Mr. Metzger was, at least initially, not hostile to technology. In 1969, he founded Page, the bulletin of the Computer Arts Society, and served as its editor for three years. He created several works using programming software and became heavily involved with the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science. Although he did not own a telephone, Mr. Metzger was, at least initially, not hostile to technology. He founded Page, the bulletin of the Computer Arts Society, in 1969 and served as its editor for three years. He created several works using programming software and became heavily involved with the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
“I wanted to be as close to the machine as possible,” he told Arts Monthly. “I didn’t want to become a machine, but to feel the machine in me, to intuitively grasp the meaning and the potential of electronics, cybernetics, even atomic power.”“I wanted to be as close to the machine as possible,” he told Arts Monthly. “I didn’t want to become a machine, but to feel the machine in me, to intuitively grasp the meaning and the potential of electronics, cybernetics, even atomic power.”
He later shifted his interests to a more direct, documentary-style confrontation with political realities, most dramatically in the series “Historic Photographs,” which presented photojournalistic images of death and destruction in intentionally off-putting installations — an approach he called “the aesthetic of revulsion.” Several of his later works also dealt with looming environmental catastrophe.He later shifted his interests to a more direct, documentary-style confrontation with political realities, most dramatically in the series “Historic Photographs,” which presented photojournalistic images of death and destruction in intentionally off-putting installations — an approach he called “the aesthetic of revulsion.” Several of his later works also dealt with looming environmental catastrophe.
He did not abandon technology entirely. In 2012, working with the London Fieldworks collaborative for the exhibition “Null Object: Gustav Metzger Thinks About Nothing,” he supplied copies of EEG recordings that had been made as he tried to rid his brain of all activity. A robot, programmed with the data to make shapes, then excavated the interior of a block of Portland stone.He did not abandon technology entirely. In 2012, working with the London Fieldworks collaborative for the exhibition “Null Object: Gustav Metzger Thinks About Nothing,” he supplied copies of EEG recordings that had been made as he tried to rid his brain of all activity. A robot, programmed with the data to make shapes, then excavated the interior of a block of Portland stone.
After Mr. Metzger completed his three-year artistic strike in 1980, he devoted most of his time to historical research and to curatorial projects in Europe.After Mr. Metzger completed his three-year artistic strike in 1980, he devoted most of his time to historical research and to curatorial projects in Europe.
In 1998, the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford organized the first British retrospective of his work, which politically minded younger artists began rediscovering. In 2004, Tate Britain recreated Mr. Metzger’s 1960 Temple Gallery show in “Art and the ’60s: This Was Tomorrow.” The exhibition suffered a well-publicized mishap when a cleaner came across a clear plastic bag filled with crumpled paper and cardboard — part of the installation — and, assuming it was trash, threw it into a compactor.In 1998, the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford organized the first British retrospective of his work, which politically minded younger artists began rediscovering. In 2004, Tate Britain recreated Mr. Metzger’s 1960 Temple Gallery show in “Art and the ’60s: This Was Tomorrow.” The exhibition suffered a well-publicized mishap when a cleaner came across a clear plastic bag filled with crumpled paper and cardboard — part of the installation — and, assuming it was trash, threw it into a compactor.
The gesture seemed very much in the spirit of Mr. Metzger’s work, an act of self-destruction commenting on the larger destructive forces at work in the world. “I don’t destroy; I create ideas that can go beyond the present chaos,” Mr. Metzger told Art Monthly. “I have always seen auto-destructive art as a constructive force. I still do.”The gesture seemed very much in the spirit of Mr. Metzger’s work, an act of self-destruction commenting on the larger destructive forces at work in the world. “I don’t destroy; I create ideas that can go beyond the present chaos,” Mr. Metzger told Art Monthly. “I have always seen auto-destructive art as a constructive force. I still do.”