Lili Marleen, 2017
Signed Limited Edition Print
Framed Size 50 x 30 in
Framed Size 127 x 76.2 cm
Framed Size 127 x 76.2 cm
Limited Edition of 99
WK2
Further images
Willi Kissmer was born in Duisburg, Germany in 1951. From an early age he was drawn to the arts. At the beginning he was interested in music, playing guitar in...
Willi Kissmer was born in Duisburg, Germany in 1951. From an early age he was drawn to the arts. At the beginning he was interested in music, playing guitar in a rock band and releasing three record albums. Then, in 1971, he decided to concentrate on the visual arts and enrolled at The Folkwangschule, Essen, where he studied printmaking for five years.
Kissmer’s approach always contains elements of realism using the nuances of light and shadow to surreal effect. For the first years of his career, his subjects were simple, everyday objects grouped together to create haunting still life studies. During this time Kissmer produced a large volume of work which always sought to fully realise the subtleties of his images in his chosen medium, no matter how long or complicated the process. This included etching and also painting with acrylics. He spent this time exploring possibilities and focusing his skills, becoming iinternationally recognised for his talent and the particular qualities of his highly personal vision. He exhibited in numerous group and one-man shows. For the past ten years, Kissmer has perfected his abilities to create images that generate excitement in the viewers’ imagination. The majority of his pictures are based on fabric – a common place item which one takes for granted. However, one is forced to reconcider its qualities when confronted with the power that Kissmer weaves into this basic material whether it is shown billowing, hanging limply, stretched tightly, twisted, creased, folded or draped. With images that involve Beate, Kissmer introduces another element of intrigue. She can be casually standing in a silk slip or erotically bound in tight swathes. The contrast of cloth and skin is shown with exquisite precision. Very rarely is Beate seen in her entirety. As Kissmer states, ‘When I think erotic, it is always combined with textiles. What you can’t see you have to explore in a different way by using your imagination. It requires other senses to be used rather than just looking at it.’ They now live and work in Duisburg, in a Gothic revival tower overlooking The Rhine. He owns one of the largest etching presses in Europe and, with continual study and exploration of printing techniques, he is able to produce his own notated artist’s proofs to match his own exacting standards. Kissmer is undeniably a modern master of figurative painting and etching processes. Many artists are, but he is empowered with unique skills which give his work a greater depth that impacts powerfully on the sense’s reactions. Above all, the essence that summaries Kissmer’s work is its tactile qualities. To quote the Chairman of the Nevada Institute of Contemporary Art, ‘You don’t just see it; you touch it with your eyes.’
Kissmer’s approach always contains elements of realism using the nuances of light and shadow to surreal effect. For the first years of his career, his subjects were simple, everyday objects grouped together to create haunting still life studies. During this time Kissmer produced a large volume of work which always sought to fully realise the subtleties of his images in his chosen medium, no matter how long or complicated the process. This included etching and also painting with acrylics. He spent this time exploring possibilities and focusing his skills, becoming iinternationally recognised for his talent and the particular qualities of his highly personal vision. He exhibited in numerous group and one-man shows. For the past ten years, Kissmer has perfected his abilities to create images that generate excitement in the viewers’ imagination. The majority of his pictures are based on fabric – a common place item which one takes for granted. However, one is forced to reconcider its qualities when confronted with the power that Kissmer weaves into this basic material whether it is shown billowing, hanging limply, stretched tightly, twisted, creased, folded or draped. With images that involve Beate, Kissmer introduces another element of intrigue. She can be casually standing in a silk slip or erotically bound in tight swathes. The contrast of cloth and skin is shown with exquisite precision. Very rarely is Beate seen in her entirety. As Kissmer states, ‘When I think erotic, it is always combined with textiles. What you can’t see you have to explore in a different way by using your imagination. It requires other senses to be used rather than just looking at it.’ They now live and work in Duisburg, in a Gothic revival tower overlooking The Rhine. He owns one of the largest etching presses in Europe and, with continual study and exploration of printing techniques, he is able to produce his own notated artist’s proofs to match his own exacting standards. Kissmer is undeniably a modern master of figurative painting and etching processes. Many artists are, but he is empowered with unique skills which give his work a greater depth that impacts powerfully on the sense’s reactions. Above all, the essence that summaries Kissmer’s work is its tactile qualities. To quote the Chairman of the Nevada Institute of Contemporary Art, ‘You don’t just see it; you touch it with your eyes.’
