The Henry presents the first American survey of the influential German artist Franz Erhard Walther (born 1939), featuring nearly 300 pivotal works from the last six decades, many never previously exhibited in the United States.
The exhibition considers the complex and rich relationship that drawing—in its broadest and most conceptual sense—has had within Walther's entire production since the late 1950s. The flexibility of the medium, as well as its capacity to transform itself without losing its inherent qualities has fascinated the artist since his earliest memories, as has its intrinsic relationship to writing and language.
Walther—long considered an 'artist's artist'—has influenced the wider discussion about contemporary art practice, while his art has served as a point of origin for many younger artists whose work directly or indirectly expands on diverse aspects of his groundbreaking investigations.
One of Germany's most prominent artists since the 1960s, Walther's work was included in
When Attitudes Become Form (Kunsthalle Bern, 1969) and dOCUMENTA V (Kassel, 1972) both curated by Harald Szeemann. His first American group exhibition in 1970 was Spaces at the Museum of Modern Art. Recent exhibitions include , MUDAM, Luxembourg (2015); WIELS Centre d'Art Contemporain, Brussels (2014) and CAPC Musée d'Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, France (2014); and Dia Art Foundation, New York (2010–12).
His work is in the permanent collections of Museum of Modern Art, Dia Art Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Art Institute Chicago, The Centre Pompidou, Walker Art Center, and Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg, Nationalgalerie Berlin, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Kunsthaus Zürich, Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt, Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven, and MAMCO Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva.
The exhibition will feature daily activations of elements from the 1. Werksatz (First Work Set) (1963-69).
CREDITS
Franz Erhard Walther: The Body Draws is organized by Deputy Director of Exhibitions, Collections, and Programs Luis Croquer, with project management by Susan Lewandowski, Manager of Exhibitions and Registration. Major support is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and ArtsFund. The exhibition is also made possible by generous support from Robin Wright, Charlie and Barbara Wright, and Carol Dauber. It is additionally supported through gifts made to the Henry Now Campaign by the Barton Family Foundation in memory of Irving Marcus; Cathy and Michael Casteel; the Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation; William and Ruth True; and the Bagley and Virginia Wright Fund.
