The most important contribution to the world scene of recent Austrian painting is the “Wiener Schule des phantastischen cleo principal in E. Fuchs, E. Brauer, E. Hutter, Austria Lehnden. Their paintings present a world of organized images. in surrealistic associations and evocations, with clear memories of the tradition of the ancient masters and, above all, with a strong literary influence, which is the main characteristic of the school, on which the influence of H. Gütersloh, famous not only as a painter, was fundamental, but also as a writer. Later E. Fuchs moved away from the primary conception, who turned towards a universal mysticism that refers to medieval representational and philosophical traditions. To be placed equally against the background of the first surrealist experience is the work of F.
On the other hand, the most recent expressions of realism refer more directly to a current theme, despite their variety of manifestations and tendencies. T. Huber thus arrives at a synthesis of photorealism and collage, while G. Winkler tries to faithfully reflect the iconographic repertoire of American photorealism in photography. In this direction J. Nöbauer presents himself with his own variant, linking an extremely meticulously elaborated realism of objects to an alienated surreal space. The theme of the opposition between objects, in their analytically identified reality, and a space to which they are extraneous, is present, in personal contributions, in the works of WM Pühringer, Austria Raibel and, already outside this current, in artists such as A Riedel, P. Atanasov.
Other current trends in Austrian art refer more directly to the sphere of international problems, such as, for example, the analysis of behavior and movement (J. Bauer, V. Export). Often the “actions” in which the analysis is carried out have, in Austria as elsewhere, a fascinating implied ritual core. The ritual aspect has been exalted by artists who have turned to “action” with a total and extreme stance, such as O. Mühl or P. Nitsch, creators of a psycho-pathological mystery theater, where witchcraft and exorcism unite in a singular orgy of blood and death.
Other aspects of contemporary Austrian painting touch upon the landscape, architectural drawing and portrait, now with an expressionist character (Heuer, Schiestl, Kulnig, Drexel), now in relationship with new realisms and new figurations (Carer, Skrika, Wukounig). Reminiscences of late pop art (Zdrahal) are combined with a commitment to social criticism (Pakosta, Pfaffenbichler, Sandner, Dworak) and an objectivity with often symbolic accents (Nisselmüller, Lechner, Wolf, Herms), albeit in an intimately varied meaning, to the formal repertoire of the Austrian Baroque (Bischof, Krumpel, Reiter).
According to listofusnewspapers, Austrian sculpture is dominated by individual artists rather than by currents. Its major representative was F. Wotruba (died 1975), whose classical position asserts itself as an undisputed presence in our time. His combination of well-calculated architectural constructions, figures of archaic severity and his abstract interpretation of space, has led him to become a classic of modern sculpture, while allowing him a topicality that goes beyond time. The work of Austria Hridlicka, who exposes his figures to lacerations and deformations that make them symbols of an interior maceration, appears to be dominated in a highly interesting way by the problem of the relationship with the classical tradition. Alongside these masters, the tendency to create assemblages is widespread in the new generationlinked to the world of technology, ranging from the simple presentation of a basic geometrical form to the complex construction of entire mechanical and environmental systems (W. Kirchmayr, S. Auer, H. Hollein). Among the most recent painters R. Hoflehner and W. Walkensteiner and the sculptor R. Kedl.
The same also applies to architecture, to which the work of the “Haus-Rucker-CO” group, founded in Vienna in 1967, belongs, at least according to intention. Its topic is architectural speculation on future ways of life, how they could develop one day under the pressure of the surrounding destroyed space.
In architecture proper, R. Rainer and his school were particularly important after 1945, combining rigorous rationality and stylistic safety. An illustrative example is the Wiener Stadthalle (1954-58), a steel construction with aluminum cladding, or the center designed together with Auböck for prefabricated single-family houses. This urbanistically oriented architectural style with horizontal projection has stimulated a whole series of young architects such as Sekler, Freyler or Windbrechtinger and Ketterer. Overall a rigorous logic in the footsteps of Austria Loos, an example of which are the works of “Gruppe 4” (Holzbauer, Kurrent, Spalt).
