A Survey of Hans Hartung's Works at de Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong
When it comes to abstract expressionism, names like Jackson Pollock, Frank Stella, Willem de Kooning and Gorky would probably immediately pop up in your mind. However, while people are accustomed to equating abstract expressionism with the New York school, they often miss a key figure, Hans Hartung (1904-1989), the German-French artist known as the founder of European abstract expressionism. Opening during the end of 2017, the Hans Hartung solo exhibition “Abstraction: A Human Language” at de Sarthe Gallery’s Hong Kong space showcases works from different periods including the early stage of the artist's career to the end of his life. The show provides such a rare opportunity for the public in the city to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the artist who made a great contribution to the history of western art.
Installation View
Born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1904, Hans Hartung got enrolled by the art school in Dresden at the age of 15 after his graduation from middle school. In 1924, Hartung returned to Leipzig to attend a local university, majoring in philosophy. By September 1929 he got married with the young Norwegian painter Anna - Eva Bergman. During his youth, he opposed the German tyranny of Nazi fascism and resolutely joined the French Foreign Legion to participate in the war against the German Nazis. He lost one leg in one battle for a life-long disability. For his sacrifice he was granted the French War Medal of Honor and French nationality.
After Kandinsky initiated his concept of "Inner Necessity" in 1912, abstract art went through the evolution of geometric abstraction and lyrical abstraction to derive German expressionism until the maturity of American Abstract Expressionism in the 1960s. In the process, Hartung was a pioneer before American Abstract Expressionism and started his own path during the 30s and 40s.
Installation View
Hans Hartung, "T1973-E14," 1973. Acrylic on canvas, 142 x 180 cm.
The exhibition held by de Sarthe Gallery allows the audience to intuitively feel the developing styles that have taken place in each period of Hartung’s life due to his personal experience. The fine and compacted lines scratched on the canvas in the 1960s, the bright, contrasting brushes of colors of the 1970s, and the haphazard lines and the unique texture left by spray guns of the 1980s. As an artist, Hartung was never satisfied with one technique or a set of pictorial elements. Displayed with Hartung’s paintings, a video of Hartung working on canvas is also presented in the gallery space, showing his exploration and research into different non-traditional tools for artistic creation. One would be easily moved by this innovative spirit through his continuous attempt to surpass him himself. (Jeffery Chan)
