Margaret Leiteritz
Encyclopedia
Margaret Leiteritz was a German
painter
.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Leiteritz produced her 'painted diagrams', which drew heavily from the scientific articles and books in her care (she was a professional librarian
before becoming a painter).
Many of her works were strongly influenced by chemical engineering
, and especially the field's graph
s which depicted physical properties of substances. Leiteritz's paintings typically reworked a mundane graph using large expanses of color
and a bold abstract theme, into a dynamic painting. Other works are reminiscent of a Bunsen burner
flame, or a DNA gel.
One of her most famous paintings, "Crossing at the Left Border" (1966; oil on linen) appeared on the cover of the catalogue for an art exhibition in Chicago
in 1969. This painting is known to have been inspired by a specific graph appearing in an otherwise unremarkable paper of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering Journal.
Her work has much in common with that of Paul Klee
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Leiteritz produced her 'painted diagrams', which drew heavily from the scientific articles and books in her care (she was a professional librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
before becoming a painter).
Many of her works were strongly influenced by chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, and especially the field's graph
Graph of a function
In mathematics, the graph of a function f is the collection of all ordered pairs . In particular, if x is a real number, graph means the graphical representation of this collection, in the form of a curve on a Cartesian plane, together with Cartesian axes, etc. Graphing on a Cartesian plane is...
s which depicted physical properties of substances. Leiteritz's paintings typically reworked a mundane graph using large expanses of color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
and a bold abstract theme, into a dynamic painting. Other works are reminiscent of a Bunsen burner
Bunsen burner
A Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a common piece of laboratory equipment that produces a single open gas flame, which is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion.- Operation:...
flame, or a DNA gel.
One of her most famous paintings, "Crossing at the Left Border" (1966; oil on linen) appeared on the cover of the catalogue for an art exhibition in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1969. This painting is known to have been inspired by a specific graph appearing in an otherwise unremarkable paper of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering Journal.
Her work has much in common with that of Paul Klee
Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
.