Otto Muehl
Encyclopedia
Otto Muehl is an Austrian artist, who is best known as one of the co-founders as well as a main participant of Viennese Actionism
. In 1972 he founded the Friedrichshof Commune that existed for several years before falling apart in the 1990s. In 1991, Muehl was convicted of sexual crimes involving adolescents, and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. He was released in 1997, after serving six and a half years, and set up a smaller commune in Portugal. After his release, he also published his memoirs from the prison (Aus dem Gefängnis).
In 1943, Muehl had to serve in the German Wehrmacht. There he registered for officer training. He was promoted to lieutenant and in 1944 he took part on infantry battles in the course of the Ardennes Offensive.
After the war, he studied teaching German and History, and Pedagogy of Art at the Wiener Akademie der bildenden Künste.
Viennese Actionism
In the sixties his aim was 'to overcome easel painting by representing its destruction process'. He made rhizomatic structures with scrap iron ("Gerümpelplastiken"), but soon proceeded to the "Aktion" in the vein of the New York Happenings. In 1962, when he was 37, the first "Aktion" "Die Blutorgel" was performed in Muehl's atelier in the Perinetgasse by Muehl himself, Adolf Frohner and Hermann Nitsch
. The "Fest des psycho-physischen Naturalismus" and "Versumpfung einer Venus" followed in 1963. From 1964 to 1966 many "Malaktionen" were filmed by Kurt Kren and photographed by Ludwig Hoffenreich. In 1966 a new concept of Aktion was developed with Günter Brus: instead of the canvas, the body became the scene of action. In 1968, Muehl, Brus and Oswald Wiener organised an Aktionsveranstaltung "Kunst und Revolution" in the University of Vienna, which caused a scandal in the press; they were arrested and Brus emigrated to Berlin.
, and collective education of the children. In 1974 he played a small role as a member of an anarchic/therapy commune in Dusan Makavejev
's Sweet Movie
. In the eighties, tensions within the commune increased until they culminated in a revolt under the direction of Altenberg. When, on top of that, Muehl was arrested and imprisoned in 1991, the commune fell apart. In 1998, Muehl moved to Faro, Portugal
to live in a new commune experiment.
In prison, Muehl was intensely engaged with works of visual arts; he painted about 300 pictures and did a lot of writing about it.
Despite suffering from Parkinsons disease, Muehl continued his art work, and in 2002 developed "electric painting films", a new technique in which he paints digital photos from actions using a computer tablet and pen and edits the process into films. In addition to that he created „excess-art objects“, in which paint is applied directly from the tube onto the canvas.
Since 1998 Muehl had two major solo exhibitions at the Vienna Museum für angewandte Kunst.
In 2010 Muehl celebrated his 85th birthday, on this occasion the Leopold Museum in Vienna showed an extensive exhibition of his late work. At the opening press conference of the exhibition on 10 June 2010, Otto Muehl apologized for the first time in an open letter for his sexual assaults.
Viennese Actionism
The term Viennese Actionism describes a short and violent movement in 20th century art that can be regarded as part of the many independent efforts of the 1960s to develop "action art" . Its main participants were Günter Brus, Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch and Rudolf Schwarzkogler. As "actionists",...
. In 1972 he founded the Friedrichshof Commune that existed for several years before falling apart in the 1990s. In 1991, Muehl was convicted of sexual crimes involving adolescents, and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. He was released in 1997, after serving six and a half years, and set up a smaller commune in Portugal. After his release, he also published his memoirs from the prison (Aus dem Gefängnis).
In 1943, Muehl had to serve in the German Wehrmacht. There he registered for officer training. He was promoted to lieutenant and in 1944 he took part on infantry battles in the course of the Ardennes Offensive.
After the war, he studied teaching German and History, and Pedagogy of Art at the Wiener Akademie der bildenden Künste.
Viennese ActionismViennese ActionismThe term Viennese Actionism describes a short and violent movement in 20th century art that can be regarded as part of the many independent efforts of the 1960s to develop "action art" . Its main participants were Günter Brus, Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch and Rudolf Schwarzkogler. As "actionists",...
In the sixties his aim was 'to overcome easel painting by representing its destruction process'. He made rhizomatic structures with scrap iron ("Gerümpelplastiken"), but soon proceeded to the "Aktion" in the vein of the New York Happenings. In 1962, when he was 37, the first "Aktion" "Die Blutorgel" was performed in Muehl's atelier in the Perinetgasse by Muehl himself, Adolf Frohner and Hermann NitschHermann Nitsch
Hermann Nitsch is an Austrian artist who works in experimental and multimedia modes.Born in Vienna, Nitsch received training in painting during the time he studied at the Wiener Graphische Lehr-und Versuchanstalt. He is called an "actionist" or a performance artist...
. The "Fest des psycho-physischen Naturalismus" and "Versumpfung einer Venus" followed in 1963. From 1964 to 1966 many "Malaktionen" were filmed by Kurt Kren and photographed by Ludwig Hoffenreich. In 1966 a new concept of Aktion was developed with Günter Brus: instead of the canvas, the body became the scene of action. In 1968, Muehl, Brus and Oswald Wiener organised an Aktionsveranstaltung "Kunst und Revolution" in the University of Vienna, which caused a scandal in the press; they were arrested and Brus emigrated to Berlin.
From art to life
Gradually, Muehl began to distance himself from "Aktion". He regarded the "happening as a bourgeois art form, mere art". The "transition from art to life" resulted in the founding of the Friedrichshof commune as a kind of anti-society. The declared aim was the destruction of bourgeois marriage and private property, free loveFree love
The term free love has been used to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery...
, and collective education of the children. In 1974 he played a small role as a member of an anarchic/therapy commune in Dusan Makavejev
Dušan Makavejev
Dušan Makavejev is a Serbian film director and screenwriter, famous for his groundbreaking films of Yugoslav cinema in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
's Sweet Movie
Sweet Movie
Sweet Movie is a film by the Yugoslavian director Dušan Makavejev. The film follows two women: a Canadian beauty queen, who represents a modern commodity culture, and a captain aboard a ship laden with candy and sugar, who is a failed communist revolutionary. Director of photography is Pierre Lhomme...
. In the eighties, tensions within the commune increased until they culminated in a revolt under the direction of Altenberg. When, on top of that, Muehl was arrested and imprisoned in 1991, the commune fell apart. In 1998, Muehl moved to Faro, Portugal
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
to live in a new commune experiment.
Muehl´s authoritarianism at Friedrichshof commune
Critics such as former community member Andreas Schlothauer point to Muehl´s strong authoritarian tendencies. For example, Muehl did not expose himself to the rituals of the Aktionsanalyse. He required members to crush the "body armor" (after Wilhelm Reich) and in some individual cases he experimented with the so-called “Watschenanalyse” ("slapping analysis"). He also created a "structure", in which a numbering of community members were placed in a hierarchical pecking order. He established a "first wife" and prepared his son to become his successor , which further reveals Muehl´s extreme authoritarianism. Paradoxically, in the hierarchical level right below Muehl was a strong matriarchal element of rival women, according to Schlothauer.Late art activities
Since 1971 Muehl has not produced any public actions in terms of the principles associated with Viennese Actionism (with one exception). He was active as a painter, mostly in the expressionist style, and artistic teacher within the community of Friedrichshof. He also directed several short movies there.In prison, Muehl was intensely engaged with works of visual arts; he painted about 300 pictures and did a lot of writing about it.
Despite suffering from Parkinsons disease, Muehl continued his art work, and in 2002 developed "electric painting films", a new technique in which he paints digital photos from actions using a computer tablet and pen and edits the process into films. In addition to that he created „excess-art objects“, in which paint is applied directly from the tube onto the canvas.
Since 1998 Muehl had two major solo exhibitions at the Vienna Museum für angewandte Kunst.
In 2010 Muehl celebrated his 85th birthday, on this occasion the Leopold Museum in Vienna showed an extensive exhibition of his late work. At the opening press conference of the exhibition on 10 June 2010, Otto Muehl apologized for the first time in an open letter for his sexual assaults.
Quotes
- "I've surely made mistakes in the community, but certainly not in sexuality." (Arte Metropolis, 8 December 2001)
- "Why should the government dictate when you should have sex?” (FAZ, 22 February 2004)
- "I'm not a child molester. This is nonsense. The girls were all developed. "(DIE ZEIT, 26 February, 2004)
- " ... The statement of young people in the courtroom at that time made me speechless. I wanted to free them, but instead, I overwhelmed and offended them with sexual transgression. It definitely was not my intention. I hope they forgive me .... "
Further reading
- Aus dem Gefängnis, Klagenfurt, Ritter-Verlag, 1997
- 7, (Exhibition catalogue) MAKMuseum für angewandte Kunst WienThe Museum of Applied Arts or just MAK, a short version of its German name Museum für angewandte Kunst is located in Vienna, Austria.The museum is located in the 1st district of Vienna .-External links:*...
Vienna, 1998. - Impossible: The Otto Muehl Story by William LevyWilliam LevyWilliam Levy , known as the Talmudic Wizard of Amsterdam and Dr. Doo-Wop, is the author of such works as The Virgin Sperm Dancer, Wet Dreams, Certain Radio Speeches of Ezra Pound and Natural Jewboy....
, New York: Barany Artists, 2001 - Leben/Kunst/Werk (Exhibition catalogue), MAK/ König; Vienna/ Köln, 2004
- Writings of the Vienna Actionists, by Malcolm GreenMalcolm GreenMalcolm Green may refer to:*Malcolm Green , British professor of inorganic chemistry*Malcolm Green , Professor of thoracic medicine, Head of the National Heart & Lung Institute...
, London, Atlas PressAtlas PressAtlas Press began publishing in 1983, and specialises in extremist and avant-garde prose writing from the 1890s to the present day. Atlas Press is the largest publisher in English of books on Surrealism and has an extensive list relating to Dada, Surrealism, Expressionism, the Oulipo, the Collège...
, 1999 (http://www.atlaspress.co.uk/index.cgi?action=view_arkhive&number=7)
External links
- Otto-Muehl-Website
- Otto Muehl biographical overview and essay about Muehl and the commune Friedrichshof, written by Stefan Beyst, (August 2002)
- An interview with Otto Muehl
- Films by Otto Muehl at UbuWeb