German Expression Rules SLU

“German Modernism: Sound and Vision” and “Paintings,” the most recent installments at the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery, officially premiered Monday evening. Painter Sven Sandberg, several of whose works were a part of the combined exhibit, came during the opening night to speak to the community about his art.  

The exhibit was curated by Professor Brook Henkel, Co-Chair of the Digital Media & Film department and the sole member of the German department. Henkel says that some of the art in the exhibit is from SLU’s own collection of pieces from the era. Others are on loan from both the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester and the Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University.  

Henkel says that the University of Rochester donated 18 art pieces to the exhibit, and Colgate donated three. Each school sent its own courier with delivery trucks to help transport the artwork. “We weren’t even allowed to touch the art,” mentions Henkel.   

The exhibit showcases works from early twentieth-century German artists like George Grosz, Käthe Kollwitz, Otto Dix, Max Pechstein, and Max Beckman, alongside Sandberg’s works. The exhibit features art created using a variety of mediums. Some of the pieces are paintings, while many of the others are lithographs, woodcuts, ink drawings and etchings.   

As Henkel and Sandberg mentioned in their joint discussion on Monday, much of the art in this period was inspired by cinema, photography and advertisements that were popular at the time. Others, namely Kollwitz’s pieces, draw from historical events and even collective national trauma.   

According to Henkel and Sandberg, who have been close friends since college, the art exhibit is something they have wanted to do for a long time. Both have an appreciation for early German art and film and decided to merge their interests to create a unique exhibit. “This exhibit is sort of a continuation of a dialogue that already exists between us, stuff we’ve been discussing for years,” says Henkel. “This project evolved into a good opportunity for me to both see my friend and to unite our various different interests.”  

Henkel and Sandberg say that the name for the exhibit, “German Modernism: Sound and Vision,” was inspired by the David Bowie song, “Sound and Vision.” Henkel says that this is because the paintings are very communicative — through their aesthetic, they express elements of motion and sound, similar to film. Also, Henkel adds that he and Sandberg just both really like David Bowie. (Amen, fellas.)  

Henkel and Sandberg say they’re grateful for the help of Catherine Tedford, Director of the Brush Art Gallery, who helped them assemble and hang all the art. “It certainly wouldn’t have been possible without her assistance,” says Henkel.   

If you want to check out “German Modernism: Sound and Vision” and Sandberg’s art, the Gallery hours are as follows:   

Monday-Thursday: 12-8 P.M.  

Friday-Saturday: 12-5 P.M.