Claus Richter

 c7a0387 jessica schaefer

On the shelves and on the floor lie masks and carnival makeup, soap bubble liquid, wedge frames, works of art packed for transportation, acrylic and spray paints, tools and a toy rat. The Cologne studio of the artist, Claus Richter, is thriving. He shares the studio with another artist, Cosima von Bonin. Richter is currently preparing a performance at the Frieze London Art Fair. Together with the author Sybille Berg, he developed the puppet theatre Wonderland Avenue. Currently he is building a stage, figures and even talking robots. There are also exhibitions in Rolandseck and Vienna forthcoming. In the spring of 2016, the Frankfurt artist studio building basis provided a great overview of his work.

Richter studied at the HfG Offenbach from 1994 to 2003. »I always wanted to be an artist,« he says. He deliberately made his decision for the HfG: »I thought it was great that things weren’t that fixed there.« Richter's focus was on sculpture and the subject area Experimental Spatial Concepts. The theory on offer was for him also important, for example, perception theory or language and aesthetics. Claus Richter is active as a writer to this day. He writes for art magazines such as Monopol, Frieze and Texte zur Kunst, among others.

Richter says, »I work on escape worlds.« He has, for a long time now, focused on puppetry, toys and craftsmanship of the turn of the century, and with artists who designed, or who have designed, toys. »I've got one foot in science fiction, and one in the 1900,« he says. His paintings and installations are accessible, sometimes entertaining, but never one-dimensional or superficial. Abysses always lurk beyond the idyll. One could describe Richter as an enlightened nostalgic who knows about the irretrievable loss of childlike naivety.

Claus Richter made use of his studies at the HfG to »get to know people and find friends.« It was important to learn about structures. During the course of his studies, Richter has participated in many exhibitions in the then flourishing off-art scene of Offenbach and Frankfurt. As an AStA chairperson, he was active in university policy too. »In 1997, we invented the Rundgang (open house), which we quasi-forced into existence«, he recalls. One thing is still important to him: »You could follow your own pace at the HfG, there was a hippie kind of feeling around,« he says. »That must remain so!«

 c7a0354 jessica schaefer

Works

  • Claus richter verylarge selfportrait 2015

    Very Large Selfportrait

    2015

  • Claus richter art cologne 2016

    Art Cologne 2016

  • Claus richter all you can eat 2010

    All you can eat

    2010

  • Claus richter facade 2010

    Facade

    2010

  • Claus richter frieze ny 2014

    Frieze

    New York, 
    ​2014

  • Claus richter ignoranz 2015

    Ignoranz

    2015

  • Claus richter friezeny toyshop 2014

    Toyshop / Frieze

    New York,
    ​2014

  • Claus richter phototaxis 2010

    Phototaxis

    2010

  • Claus richter salve monstrum 2015

    Salve

    Monstrum,
    ​2015

  • Claus richter raum fuer alastair 2016

    Raum für Alastair

    2016

  • Claus richter school 2015

    School

    2015

  • Claus richter showtime 2008

    Showtime

    2008

  • Claus richter wakefield 2012 2016

    Wakefield

    2012-2016

  • Claus richter the frankfurt songbook 2016

    The Frankfurt Songbook

    2016

  • Claus richter turning turtle 2012 2

    turning turtle

    2012

  • Claus richter wakefield forest grandparents 2012

    Forest Grandparents

    Wakefield, 
    2012

  • Claus richter wakefield village soldier 2012

    Village soldier

    Wakefield,
    ​2012 

  • Claus richter das schlaue tier und seine feinde 2015

    Das schlaue Tier und seine Feinde

    2015

Very Large Selfportrait

2015

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