Günther Schützenhöfer

*14.7.1965

Günther Schützenhöfer is a draftsman who can handle pencils and colored pencils in a way very few other Art Brut artists are capable of doing. In addition to his ability to reduce form to what might be called a minimal distillation of the subject matter, he has a masterful understanding of composing the picture plane with a pencil. Whether carried out in gray (with lead or graphite pencils) or in color, his surfaces become formations that are intensely and captivatingly flat, but almost three-dimensional. The contrast of light and dark within a single stroke is repeated across entire areas containing no hint of perspective. They are layers or levels that look like miniature fields worked with a plow or similar device; here, the effects generated by a single stroke are often like the furrows and ridges of the earth. Schützenhöfer creates tensions in these images, which at times produces a humorous effect through a comical aspect in the treatment of the subject matter. His drawings’ success in Europe, but also in New York City, identifies Schützenhöfer as one of Art Brut’s major talents and shows that it still possesses great representatives in the present.

  • Günther Schützenhöfer, Vase und Blumen / Vase and Flowers, 2017, Treger Saint Silvestre Collection, long term deposit in Centro de Arte Oliva
Werk / Foto: Courtesy galerie gugging
work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging
    Günther Schützenhöfer, Vase and Flowers, 2017, Treger Saint Silvestre Collection, long term deposit in Centro de Arte Oliva © Werk / Foto: Courtesy galerie gugging work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging
  • Günther Schützenhöfer, Regenschirm / Umbrella, 2015, Privatstiftung – Künstler aus Gugging / Private Foundation – Artists from Gugging
Werk / Foto: Courtesy galerie gugging
work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging
    Günther Schützenhöfer, Umbrella, 2015, Private Foundation – Artists from Gugging © Werk / Foto: Courtesy galerie gugging work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging
  • Günther Schützenhöfer, Fahrrad / Bicycle, 2016, Courtesy galerie gugging
work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging
    Günther Schützenhöfer, Fahrrad / Bicycle, 2016, Courtesy galerie gugging work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging © Werk / Foto: Courtesy galerie gugging work / photo: Courtesy galerie gugging