Draft:Udo Nöger

Udo Nöger (* 1961 in Enger) is a German artist who is categorised as a gestural-abstract Neo-Expressionism.

Life
From 1984 to 1990 he attended the Fachhochschule Bielefeld, followed by further study visits to Paderborn, Berlin and Spain from 1990 to 1992. Here he already had his first major exhibition participations and solo exhibitions. As a fellow of the Heinz Nixdorf Institute, Nöger spent two years each in New York (1970–1972) and Denver (1990–1992) from 1993 onwards. Nöger's stays on Easter Island and Rarotonga are considered particularly formative for his artistic development. at the end of the 1980s. With the travelling exhibition Rongorongo, he paid tribute to the culture of the Polynesians. In particular, the art historian and gallery owner Günter Hepe, who specialised in African and Oceanic art, supported Nöger and dedicated a solo exhibition to him in 1987/88 and 1998. The stylistic parallels to the art of Oceania were focussed on. Through several scholarships and exhibition projects since the 1990s, Nöger moved permanently to the USA from 1999. Nöger has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Asia, North and South America. His works can be found in international museums and in private collections, for example in the art collections of Monika Grütters, Nils Seethaler, Reinhold Würth, Halle Berry, Sylvester Stallone, Elton John and Bill Gates. Nöger lives and works in San Diego. He regularly visits Europe and his home region in particular for study and inspiration.

Work
Apart from Nöger's abstract depictions of his early work, created on canvas and laid paper, which are reminiscent of cave paintings or pictograms, he is particularly known for his monochromatic works in shades of grey, which appear as if they themselves radiate light. Nöger achieved this effect by stretching several lengths of fabric or canvas onto a frame, which in turn were previously painted or cut. As a result, the works appear more translucent in some places than in others. Nöger is also known for painting the underside of the fabric and using materials of different thicknesses, shades and opacities. This technique is therefore located on the border between painting and sculptural design.

Solo exhibitions

 * 2001: Kunstverein Lippstadt
 * 2001: Museum of Contemporary Art Boulder
 * 2005: Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
 * 2006: Siegerland Museum
 * 2006: Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia
 * 2006: Art & Cultural Centre, Maui
 * 2007: Schloss Morsbroich Museum, Leverkusen
 * 2008: Kunsthalle Krems, Vienna
 * 2008: Museo de Arte y Diseno Contemporaneo, San Jose, Costa Rica
 * 2011: Retrospective Works from 1980-2011, Karl Ernst Osthaus-Museum, Hagen
 * 2011: Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu
 * 2013: Museo de Arte y Diseno Contemporaneo, San Jose, Costa Rica
 * 2013: Kunsthalle Krems, Vienna

Group exhibitions

 * 1989: Haus der Kunst, Munich
 * 1999: Kunsthalle Bielefeld
 * 1999: Heads and Vessels, Contemporary Art Centre of Peoria, Peoria

Literature

 * Udo Nöger. Light as a Material. Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe/Scottsdale 2005.
 * Udo Nöger: heads and vessels 2' 1997-1998. Hermann Busch Verlag, Bielefeld.
 * Michael Beck: smelling. Beck & Eggeling, 2001.
 * Michael Beck: Udo Nöger:Innen. Beck & Eggeling, 2001.
 * Udo Nöger. Me, water. Exhibition catalogue Kunsthalle Krems, Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo 2008, Beck & Eggeling, Düsseldorf 2008, ISBN 978-3-930919-49-9.
 * Udo Nöger. Me, water. Exhibition catalogue Kunsthalle Krems, Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo 2008, Beck & Eggeling, Düsseldorf 2008, ISBN 978-3-930919-49-9.