#carl grossberg

[degenerarts]

[thunderstruck9]

Carl Grossberg (German, 1894-1940), Compactor in a chemical plant, c.1933. Pencil on paper, 49.5 × 40 cm.

[germanpostwarmodern]

His depictions of industrial and technology-related objects count among the most significant contributions to German New Objectivity but still his name is far lesser known than those of his peers: the talk is of Carl Grossberg (1894-1940), a former architecture student, Bauhaus disciple and a pupil of Lyonel Feininger. Likely motivated by the latter’s example Grossberg in the early 1920s painted intricate townscapes nevertheless far from Feininger’s cubist-expressionist example: their colorful, building brick-like volumes markedly differ from Feininger's prismatic, upwards zooming paintings. In the following years Grossberg’s townscapes gradually become more detailed and from 1925 onwards he in parallel developed the so-called „Traumbilder“, visions of surreal architectural constellations, reminiscent of Giorgio de Chirico, combined with animals, plants or machines.

His growing interest in technology and technical objects in 1927 ultimately made its way to the canvas, namely in the form of three paintings of Cologne Main Station, a modern bridge in Wuppertal and another „Traumbild“. They paved the way for Grossberg’s famous depictions of industrial facilities and machineries that he first painted in 1933. With photographic precision Grossberg joins different strands of his previous paintings in a new, sharp pictorial language. In doing so Grossberg acknowledges the wealth of forms and shapes introduced by the processing industry and in a programmatic text also seeks to distance himself from his peers whom he regards as being stuck in „green fields and cows“.

Unfortunately there is little interest in his paintings in the circles of potential buyers and Grossberg gradually sinks into pessimism as Hans-Werner Schmidt recounts in his excellent essay included in the present catalogue: it was published alongside a retrospective at Von-der-Heydt-Museum Wuppertal in 1994 by DuMont and to this day remains the sole comprehensive publication on the artist. It features a large number of paintings, watercolors and drawings as well as insightful essays, e.g. by the painter’s daughter Eva who provides insights into her father’s life and personality. Highly recommended!

[weimar-arts]

Carl Grossberg, Hauptbahnhof Köln, 1927.

[visual-sandwich]

Brücke über die Schwarzbachstraße in Wuppertal

Carl Grossberg

1927 

[sardens]

Carl Grossberg - Self portrait. 1928

[panchicha]

[fotosvonsusanne]

Carl Grossberg

Papiermaschine / Paper Machine

1934

Ausstellung "Glanz und Elend - Neue Sachlichkeit in Deutschland", Leopold Museum, Wien / Vienna

[atna2-34-75]

Carl Grossberg

Pinakothek der Moderne, Münich

[kafkasapartment]

View of the street with cathedral pharmacy, Cologne, 1927. Carl Grossberg, 1894–1940. Watercolor and ink on hand-made paper.

[pwlanier]

Carl Grossberg

(Elberfeld 1894–1940 Laon)

Untitled, 1935, signed and dated, oil on board,

Dorotheum

[degenerarts]

[irritable-bowel-showdown]

Irritable Bowel Showdown: ROUND 2

Matchups and start times below:

Part 1 - (August 16 at 4pm UTC)

Barry Bluejeans (The Adventure Zone) vs Johnny Sasaki (Metal Gear)

Steven Universe (Steven Universe) vs God of Indigestion (Discworld)

Sakaeguchi Yuuto (Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!) vs Isaac Moriah (The Binding of Isaac)

Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100) vs Magellan (One Piece)

Triss Merigold (The Witcher) vs Primis "Tank" Dempsey (Call of Duty: Zombies)

Panty Anarchy (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) vs Carl Wheezer (Jimmy Neutron)

Toshinori Yagi/All Might (My Hero Academia) vs Henry the Green Engine (Thomas and Friends)

Marvin Grossberg (Ace Attorney) vs Belphegor (SMT/Persona series)

Part 2 - (August 17 at 4pm UTC)

Bor'dor Dog'son (Critical Role) vs Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place)

DJ (Beast Wars II) vs Filbo Fiddlepie (Bugsnax)

Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb) vs Dr. Crygor (WarioWare)

The Onceler (The Lorax) vs Owen (Total Drama)

Alphys (Undertale) vs Deandra the New Girl (The Most Popular Girls in School)

Declan Lynch (The Dreamer Trilogy) vs Rock Lee (Naruto)

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) vs anon who shit on couch (real life)

Nyack of the Rana'for (Not Another D&D Podcast) vs Shit in Pants Guy (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac)

Part 3 - (August 18 at 4pm UTC)

Loki the cat (real life) vs you, the voter (real life)

Tomura Shigaraki (My Hero Academia) vs Hailey (Hatchetfield Nightmare Time)

James Tiberius Kirk (Star Trek) vs Griffin McElroy (real life)

Porky Pig (Looney Tunes) vs Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

Havelock Vetinari (Discworld) vs Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

Queen Chrysalis (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) vs Doctor Sung (TWRP)

The test subject who shat in the elevator (Portal 2) vs Jean Pierre Polnareff (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Napstablook (Undertale) vs Yuga Aoyama (My Hero Academia)

Part 4 - (August 19 at 4pm UTC)

Benrey (HLVR: AI) vs Nekomaru Nidai (Danganronpa)

Dabi (My Hero Academia) vs Rung (Transformers)

Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune) vs Elmo Monster (Sesame Street)

PaRappa Rappa (PaRappa the Rapper) vs Okuyasu Nijimura (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Zhao Yunlan (Guardian) vs Hinata Shouyou (Haikyuu!!)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural) vs Raji Shenazard (Snow White with the Red Hair)

Tenzil Kem/Matter Eater Lad (DC) vs Shoichi Irie (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)

Yami Sukehiro (Black Clover) vs Megatron (Transformers)

[polymorphousculturevulture]

Carl Grossberg

via weimar-arts

[weimar-arts]

Carl Grossberg, Muntplein, 1926

[formlab]

Berlin, Avus, 1928 by Carl Grossberg