Willi Baumeister

Willi Baumeister was a German painter, stage designer and typographer. He was a close friend of Oskar Schlemmer, member of several artistic groups such as the Berlin “Novembergruppe”, “Üecht”, “Gegenstandlose”, or “ZEN49”. He taught from 1927 until the rise of National Socialism in 1993 at present day Städelschule in Frankfurt. In 1937 his work was included in the defamatory exhibition “Degenerate Art” in Munich held by the National Socialist Party. From 1946 he taught at the Stuttgarter Kunstakademie. During the course of his life he developed from figurative motifs a wholly unique abstract visual language. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and Biennales in Europe, the USA and Russia.