Arnulf Rainer

Arnulf Rainer

Arnulf Rainer is an Australian painter and photography who is known for defacing self portraits of himself using paint. Rainer explains that “the principles of [his] works are the extinction of expressionism, permanent covering and contemplative tranquillity”. Rainer is a self taught painter whose work has been associated with Surrealism and the Art Informel movement. 
Rainer, Ernst fuchs, Arik Brauer, Anton Lehmden and others formed the Hundsgruppe (or Dog Pack). This group of artists first exhibited in 1951. Then, in 1959, alongside Fuchs and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, he founded the Pintorarium, which was an academy for all creative fields. This ended in 1969. Arnulf Rainer, in 2009, opened the Arnulf Rainer Museum in Frauenbad, Baden, where he was born. His work is also exhibited in The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Tate Gallery, London, the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, as well as others.


I think this piece of art by Arnulf Reiner relates to my ideas of ‘Post Human’ as it appears like a cover over half the face, hiding his identity, similar to a mask of screen. The use of warm tones against the black and white monochrome background contradicts the facial expression as he looks upset, which is often reflected in blue, cool tones. I really like the drips that come down as they give the impression of tears, mirroring his expression.