Günter Johne

Introduction of New Graphic Artform, One-of-a-Kind Single-Edition Nonreproducible Etchgraphs
by Günter Johne

Johne comes from Dresden, Germany, traditionally one of the well known centers of the fine arts in Europe. He was able to escape the 40 years of Communism while pursuing his career from Bonn, Germany. Since the Berlin wall came down, however, he is back in Dresden, providing inspiration to the community of artists there who endured and survived the many years of oppression. As a result, a renaissance of the arts is taking place in Dresden, aggressively exploring new frontiers, pushing way ahead of the conventional.

Johne's one-of-a-kind single-edition nonreproducible etchgraphs are a new art form which represents itself in spectacular graphics, each piece totally unique, each with its own personality appealing to a large audience. Johne gave the following statement in respect to his art on display at Straube Center NJ:

I have discovered the aesthetic, meditative and associative value inherent in the single-edition nonreproducible etchgraphs while experimenting with various materials over a longer period of time. The decision to create also smaller size pieces came to me from the interaction with international artists, including Jacobo Borges of Caracas, Venezuela, who have been experimenting with the elements of size and scale, stepping outside of what has been commonly followed in the past. While developing my single-edition nonreproducible etchgraphs I very soon discovered what miracles this flexibility could offer.

I started the process working on pieces "covering" them with slow drying printing colors by using an exciting selection of paints, wooden sticks, metal forms, and textiles. "Sculpting" the etchgraph with my fingers, thus the fascination of abstraction evolved. The selection process for the materials, colors, and shapes results in "forms of chance" which the brain could never have imagined.

Each superbly unique nonreproducible etchgraph opens a new window to discoveries of abstract landscapes, figures, and nature itself. It creates for the spectator a stage of floating perceptions.