Reinhold Koehler

In 1963, Koehler reached new creative heights with the production of his unique glass and ceramic collages known as 'Contre-Collages'. One expression involved layers of paper sourced from fashion patterns, medical advertisements, magazines and printing materials glued onto a piece of glass, which Koehler then smashed with a hammer. He would then cover the broken glass with black or coloured ink, allowing it to seep into the cracks, leaving an organic linear image on the paper underneath. Other expressions were more sculptural and involved glass bottles and ceramic plates which he smashed and mounted onto canvas, usually painted white but at times covered with pattern paper. 

The present work bears testimony to Koehler's powerful creative mind and individual expression which can be situated within the central tenets of the German 1950s Avant-Garde, matching the artistic endeavours of artists such as Otto Piene, Heinz Mack, Emil Schumacher and Wolf Vostell, amongst others.