Woodcut Revival
November 28, 2007
MoMa – four magic letters that open the door to art-world success. Any artist, whose work has been shown at MoMa - the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, can surely say they have "made it."
Gert and Uwe Tobias can now lay claim to that fame. From Wednesday, Nov. 28 through Feb. 25, MoMa is showing 20 works by the 34-year-old twins from Cologne, Germany. The show comprises drawings of typewriters and fantastic gouaches, as well as enormous, brightly colored woodcuts.
The Tobias brothers were born in Romania and came to Germany in 1985. They studied art together in the northern German town of Braunschweig. Today, they share a studio in Cologne.
An affinity for German art
"It is a great honor for us to be offered an exhibit at MoMa," Gert Tobias said on the eve of the opening in New York.
But the twins are not the first German artists to get a show at MoMa. In 2001, Düsseldorf photographer Andreas Gursky was given a show in the famed museum, and a year later, it was painter Gerhard Richter's turn.
"MoMa has shown a great affinity for German art," said Stefan Gronert, the curator of the Kunst Museum Bonn, who has been following the twins' career since 2004.
But Gert and Uwe Tobias don't see their work in the category of "German art" -- or Romanian art, for that matter.
"We are just artists, who make our own art," Gert Tobias said.
Nonetheless, it would be fairly easy for the brothers to ride the tide of popularity in German art if they wanted to, Gronert said.
"Right now, German art is very popular in other countries. Especially in the USA," he said.
Popularity of the Leipzig School
He pointed out that Germany is home to the Leipzig School, whose modern, graphic painting style has excited interest in US collectors for years now.
Today, Leipzig is home to a lively artists' quarter, where 11 galleries have opened up in a building that was once Europe's largest cotton factory. And more than just paintings are being made. Numerous young artists of all stripes have jumped on the Leipzig art scene bandwagon.
The popularity of German art is closely linked to the growing interest in art world-wide. The art market is hungrier than ever. Gronert claims that German art, like other German products, is known for its quality.
"The best explanation is that quality simply wins out," he said.
This appears to be the case when it comes to the Tobias brothers. The pair has been called "revivers of the woodcut." MoMa has praised their "amazing color sensibility" and their "astounding graphical compositions."
Career boost is likely
The MoMa exhibit will no doubt boost the careers of the Tobias brothers, who appear to be taking it in stride.
"After New York, we need a few days to just process it all," Gert Tobias said. "We aren't sure what comes after that."
Gronert said he imagines a number of major museums will want to mount shows of the Tobias brothers' woodcuts -- including his own. In March, an exhibit of Gert and Uwe Tobias woodcuts will be opening at the Kunst Museum Bonn.