Franz Erhard Walther Work as Action October 2, 201 0-February 13, 2012
Dia:Beacon Riggio Galleries 3 Beekman Street Beacon New York 12508 845 440 0100 www.diaart .org
his undertaking is guided by a des
rests with us, the beholders, and o uncertain terrain.
to spectators to engage tactically with the object, by placing their hands inside pockets in the case of the former and by resting their heads with in the frame of
acquired for Dia's collection in 1978.
the latter. These early invitations would expand through 1969 into a repertoire of fabric forms, which together make up 1. Werksatz (First Work Set), a vast work
being activated-a modest proposa
ness to participate. In Zwei Ovale mit Taschen (Two Ovals with Pockets) and Zwei Stoffrahmen, plastisch (Two Fabric Frames, Sculptural, both 1963), he appealed
Nordhorn, 1999), pp. 22-23.
2. Franz Erhard Walther (1998), "Resume o Origin-Sites of Influence, Exhibitions 19
1. Franz Erhard Walther, interview by Georg
notes
Yasmil Raymond, Curator, Dia Art F
his "instruments for processes"; h
Walther delineates action through
passivity of the viewer; he has defined his practice instead in terms of chance, since the work is dependent on the curiosity of the beholders and their willing-
consequences not only within art
consequences and dimensions of
In looking and using the works in
out of an act."2
the weight of his hands to sculpt and to imprint the surfaces of paper-that is, he enlisted the specific physical attributes of a body part in the creation of a mark. From early 1963 onward, Walther advanced through his work process an aesthetic discourse that resists the sole authority of the artist and the contemp lative
historically defined status of the b with the experience. In contrast, I
materials. An exemplary early work is Vier Faltdeckel (Four Pieces to Be Folded
In, 1962/1963), one among a series of formal inquiries for which he turned to
about. I can provoke myself conce
to involve first hands and later the whole body in a series of activities, such as pressing, folding and unfolding, wrapping, gluing, cutting, and tearing malleable
contract that a work is an object p
early undertaking of seeking to st
work, in effect to produce new an
pieces, known as Handlungsstucke (Action Pieces) from the early 1960s and
among others-who call on viewer
Kippenberger, John Bock, Christia
ing his students at the Hochschule
examples of his Werkstucke (Work Pieces), in which he initially deployed physical action as a sculptural principle. Focusing on the activity of "doing," he began
The presentation "Work as Action" at Dia:Beacon features over two dozen works, including, in addition to various experiments on paper, Walther's first sewn muslin
acts of doing have been foundatio
Walther's provocative meditations
demonstration situations. Practice
subject-led him to conceiving objects and images that challenged the beholder to act. In acknowledging the impact of viewers' presence and actions in real time and space, Walther attempts to suspend the sense of isolation and selfabsorption that is often associated with viewing art.
work generates refer to the rehear trying to show that what I was offe
problems visual artists traditionally face-those of form, materials, space, and
conceptual and formal circle of im ephemeral event. Beyond simple t
opment of post-World War II avant-garde practice, as he radically abandoned conventional modes of painting and sculpture in order to examine the process of art rather than its product. Walther's distinctive approach to thinking through the
and object-and to engage in actio
De Maria, Richard Serra, and Blinky Palermo. Since his first experiments during the early 1960s, Walther's work has occupied a unique position in the devel-
volunteer in a two-fold activity, to
cisely outlined in their individual titl
Each of First Work Set's fifty-eight are intended to be unfolded and u
Franz Erhard Walther is internationally recognized for his five-decade-long investigation into the spatial, sensorial, and temporal dimensions of formspreoccupations he shares with such contemporaries as Donald Judd, Walter
Franz Erhard Walther: Work as Action
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Zwei rotbraune Samtkissen (gefi.ill (Two Reddish Brown Velvet Cushio Fabric, velvet Courtesy Galerie Jocelyn Wolff , Paris
Zwei Nesselpackungen, zwei Papi (Two Pedestals for Hands [paper/ Cardboard, paper Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
14 1. Werksatz (First Work Set), 1963Mixed media ; Edition 10/10 Dia Art Foundation
13 Drei weiche rosa Lacktafeln (Three Cardboard , glue , foam , muslin, Maso Franz Erhard Walth er Foundation
12 Zwei Stapel, 182 Teile (Two Stacks Envelopes, paper , paste, metal, impri Franz Erhard Walther Foundation
11
1o Zwei kleine Quader - Gewichtung Cardboard , canvas, glue , adhesive ta Franz Erhard Walth er Foundation
9 Papierskulptur (Paper Sculpture), Paper Gisbert Seng Collection
a
7 Drei breite Bander (Three Broad B Cotton, nails Collection Alastair Cookson
6 Zweiseitig: Bild und Material (Doub Paper, paste , glue Gisbert Seng Collection
5 Zwei Nesselkasten (Two Muslin B Cardboard, glue, muslin Collection Suzanne Walth er
Cardboard , muslin, lacquer Courtesy Galerie Jocelyn Wolff , Paris
4 Versiegelter rosa Lackkarton (Seal
3 Zwei Ovale mit Taschen (Two Oval Muslin , satin, foam Gisbert Seng Collection
2 Zwei Stoffrahmen, plastisch (Two Muslin , shredded fabric Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
Fi.infkissenform mit vier Bandern ( Muslin, fabri c Gisbert Seng Collection
checklist of works
I and II), 1962
1962
26 Selection of 58 Werkzeichnungen (work drawings) corresponding to the elements of 1. Werksatz (First Work Set) , 1963-69 Variable media Courtesy Peter Freeman, Inc., New York; G alerie Joce lyn W olff, Paris; and Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
25 Nesselkiste (Muslin Box), 1963 Corrugated board, glue strip , glue, untreated canvas Private co llection
24 Handbrett I (Handboard I), 1962 / 1963 cardb oard, glu e, muslin Collection Suzanne W alther
23 Zwei Glaser mit Reis (Two Jars with Rice), 1963 Glass, metal lid, varnish, rice Court esy Galerie Jocelyn W olff, Paris
22 Zwei Papprohren (Verlegenheitsstuck) (Two Cardboard Rolls [Piece to Overcome Embarrassment]), Cardb oard, paper, glue Court esy Peter Freeman, Inc., New York
21 8 Nesselplatten (Eight Muslin Plates), 1963 Muslin, foam, resin Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
20 Papierfaltung I and II (Paperfolding Paper Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
19 Wand-Ecken II (Wall Corner II), 1963 Muslin, fabric Coll ection of the artist
18 Vier Faltdeckel (Four Pieces to Be Folded In), 1962 / 1963 Paper, cardboard, glue, tape Franz Erhard W alther Foundati on
17 Karton II (Cardboard II), 1963 Cardb oard Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
16 Karton I (Cardboard I), 1963 Cardb oard Franz Erhard W alther Foundation
15 New Yorker Buch (New York Book), 1967-73 Paper, hardb oard, cardboard , linen st rips, glue Artn ow International
(
4. Beinshick (Leg Piece), 1964
3. Ummantelung (Covering), 1964
2. Gehshick Sockel (Walking Piece, Plinth), 1 963/1964
1. Stirnshick (Forehead Piece), 1963
1. Werksatz (First Work Set) , 1963-69/201 A gallery att endant wi ll be present to assist w in orange. Titles in gray are not available for
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16. Mit Richtung (Sechs) (With Direction [Six]), 1966
15. Sammler , Masse und Verteilung (Collector , Mass and Distribution) , 1966
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20. Versammlung (Gathering), 1966
19. Vorhang (Curtain), 1966
18. Weg innen auBen (Way Inside Outside), 1 966
14. Sackform und Kappe (Sack and Hood), 1966
10. Partitur (Score), 1 965
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17. Stoffrohre (Cloth Tube) , 1966
13. Funf (Five) , 1966
9. Fur Hugel und Berge (For Hills and Mountains), 1965
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33. Plastik-5 Stufen (Sculpture5 States), 1 967
34. Armstiick (Arm Piece), 1 967
35. 28 Standstellen (28 Pocket Segments), 1967
36. Kreuz Verbindungsform (Cross Connecting Form), 1967
29. Form fur Kerper (Form for Body), 1967
30. Niihe (Closeness), 1967
31. Fur Zwei (For Two), 1967
32. Kurz var der Diimmerung (Short Before Twilight), 1 967
25. Ober Arm (Via Arm), 1967
26. Kopf Leib Glieder (Head Body Limbs), 1967
27. Vier Seiten Vier Felder (Four Sides Four Fields), 1967
28. Gegeniiber (Opposite), 1967
49. Sockel, vier Bereiche (Plinth , Four Sections), 1969
50. Hiille anfiillen (Case to Be Filled U 1969
51. Ausgangspunkt und Wege (Starting Point and Paths), 1 969
52. Plastisch (Two Sculptures), 1 969
45. 50 x 50 m Kreuz (50 x 50 m Cross), 1968
46. Sehkanal (Channel of Sight), 1968
47. Anniiherung Schritte seitwiirts (Approach Steps Sideways), 1968
48. Ki:irpergewichte (Body Weights), 1969
41. Streik (Strike), 1967
42. Vier Ki:irpergewichte (Four Body Weights) , 1968
43. Proportionen und Zeit (Proportions and Time), 1 968
44. Strecke Gewicht Form (Distance Weight Form), 1968
58. Zeit Stelle Dauer Richtung Bezug (Time Place Duration Direction Relation), 1 969
museum show in the United States since 1990.
in Hamburg from 1971 until 2009, where he taught Martin Kippenberger, John Bock, Jonathan Meese, among others. Dia's exhibition marks Walther's first solo
mounted in 2010. He was a full professor at the Hochschule fur bildende Klinste
Kunsthalle; Kunstmuseum Bonn; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart; and Mamco, Musee d'art moderne et contemporain, Geneva, where a major retrospective of his work was
Rennes, France (1999). Walther's work is on permanent view at the Hamburger
( 1977), 7 ( 1982), and 8 ( 1987), and has had solo shows at Secession, Vienna (1989); Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (1993); and FRAC Bretagne,
Become Form" at Kunsthalle Bern. He participated in Documentas 5 (1972), 6
presentation at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1969 and 1970, and his work was included in the landmark 1969 exhibition "When Attitudes
when he moved to New York, residing there until 1973. Since then, Walther has exhibited extensively worldwide. He demonstrated 1. Werksatz in a four-month
lmi Knoebel, and Blinky Palermo. Walther remained in Dlisseldorf until 1967,
to 1964, Walther attended the Kunstakademie Dlisseldorf, where he became acquainted with Joseph Beuys and befriended fellow students Gerhard Richter,
Main (Stadelschule), studying there until his expulsion in 1961. From 1962
enrolled in the Werkkunstschule Offenbach, where he first exhibited his work. In 1959 he transferred to the Hochschule fur Bildende Klinste, Frankfurt am
Franz Erhard Walther was born in 1939 in Fulda, Germany. In 1957, he
57. Zehn Sockel (Ort Distanz Richtung) (Ten Pedestals [Place Distance Direction]), 1 969
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Cover: Work demonstration of 1. Werksatz (First Work
Bild-Kun st, Bonn
Work s by Franz Erhard Walther© Artists Ri
© 2010 Dia Art Foundation
Photos: © Timm Rautert
Council, and the New York State Council on
This exhibition is supported in part by Dia's
Weiss, Kirsten. Dependent Objects. Cambrid
Reiter Raabe, Andreas. "Portrait Franz Erhar
In Franz Erhard Walther, pp. 5-23. Middleto University, 1988.
Morgan, Robert C. "Franz Erhard Walther an
Licht, Jennifer. Spaces. New York: Museum
Werksatz (1963-1969) von Franz Erhard Moderne Kunst, 1991.
Lange, Susanne. "Franz Erhard Walther's Fi
Jappe, Georg. "Franz Erhard Walther." Studi
Halley, Peter. Work Needs the Body-A
Franz Erhard Walther: Works 1963-86. Ne Rainer Crone, Joseph Kosuth, and Franz Er
Ed. Roland Nachtigii.ller and Suzanne Walth Nordhorn, 2000.
Franz Erhard Walther: Sites of Origin-Sites
Texts by Klaus-D. Pohl, Simone Twiehaus ,
Franz Erhard Walther: der Kopf zeichnet, die
Internacional, 1977. Texts by
Franz Erhard Walther: Arbeiten 1969-1976;
Schauberg, 1972.
Franz Erhard Walther: Arbeiten, 1955-63.
Selected Bibliography
