Pierre Muckensturm

1970
(FRANCE) FRENCH

Pierre Muckensturm is a French abstract painter and print maker. His visual language is one of harmony, calm and timelessness built around softly textured surfaces and a muted, black and white palette. Born in Strasbourg, France, he currently lives and works in Colmar.

Education

Muckensturm attended Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg. Later, while studying to become a teacher, he befriended Jean Jérôme, a university art instructor, who mentored him and inspired him to enroll in painting workshops. In 2010, he was an artist in residence at Boribana Museum of Contemporary Art in Dakar, Senegal.

Technique

In 2004, Muckensturm began working with oil on large scale canvases. He isolates gestural elements, enlarging them on the picture plane to explore their presence in relation to the surrounding emptiness. He develops the paintings methodically, exploring the process of transformation the canvas undergoes in the painting process. Working the surface into a texture that belies its age, Muckensturm achieves a balance of intensity and tranquility. Since 2010, he has also added printmaking to his oeuvre. The engraving and printing process allows him to further explore notions of time and perspective. In his prints, he begins with gestural marks, examining them in detail, transforming them gradually, exploring how they communicate differently as he alters their size, shape, depth, magnitude and orientation over time.

Inspiration

Muckensturm is inspired by the concepts of calmness, constancy and temporality. His work visually expresses a sense of harmony with time. Initially a figurative painter, he discovered abstraction in 2004 on a visit to Notre Dame du Haut, a Modernist chapel in Ronchamp, France, designed by Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, otherwise known as Le Corbusier. The simplicity of its forms brought Muckensturm a feeling of tranquility. He began seeking ways to directly to directly express how felt that day. His search brought him into contact with the work of Julius Bissier, whose simple, organic, gestural brushstrokes, evocative of Taoist painting techniques, also communicate a sense of calmness. In 2010, during an artist residency in Africa, Muckensturm became inspired by the differences in how time is observed in Senegalese culture, versus the culture in which he was raised. He has since been exploring these various ideas in his work, expressing calmness and an open ended view of time.

Collections

Muckensturm's work is included in multiple institutional collections, including that of the Museum of Fine Arts in Liège, Belgium, the Boribana Museum of Contemporary Art, Dakar, Senegal, and the Art Library of the City of La Roche-sur-Yon, France.

Exhibitions

Muckensturm has exhibited extensively in Europe, as well as in the United States and Canada.

Galleries

Galerie La Ligne . Zürich . CH
Ideelart Gallery . London . GB
Galerie Gaïa . Nantes . F
Galerie Michèle Champetier . Cannes . F

Less is More: Minimalism

Nov 09, 2015

Minimalism is an abstract art movement which emerged in America in the 1960’s, and which mostly refers to painting and sculpture. Minimalist pieces in no way attempt to represent external visual r...

Selected Exhibitions

2023 Group show at Gaïa Gallery, Nantes, France;
Show with Carola Bürgi at La Ligne Gallery, Zürich, Switzerland;
Group show at Musée Bossuet, Meaux, France;
Art Paris, Grand Palais Éphémère, La Ligne Gallery, Paris, France

2022 21e Biennale internationale « Petit Format de Papier », Nîmes and Charleville-Mézières, France;
Art Paris, Grand Palais Éphémère, La Ligne Gallery, Paris, France;
Winter Group Show at La Ligne Gallery, Zürich, Switzerland

2021 « Triennale de la gravure contemporaine », La Boverie Museum, Liège, Belgium;
Art Elysées, Lacan Gallery, Paris, France;
Solo show: [plus ou moins deux virgule deux degrés de fantaisie orthogonale], E.A.C. André Malraux, Colmar, France;
Group show at Musée Bossuet, Meaux, France (postponed)

2020 Solo show: [plus ou moins deux virgule deux degrés de fantaisie orthogonale], E.A.C. André Malraux, Colmar, France (postponed);
Contemporary Art Fair ST-ART, L’Estampe Gallery, Strasbourg, France (postponed);
« Triennale de la gravure contemporaine », La Boverie Museum, Liège, Belgium (postponed);
Group show « Autour de Juan Miro », Murmure Gallery, Colmar, France

2019 « Pol Bury - Pierre Muckensturm », Maison Defauwes et Leburton, Liège, Belgium;
Group show « droites et courbes », Murmure Gallery, Colmar, France;
« 14ème Biennale d’art de Mirebeau », invited guest, Prieuré Saint André, Mirebeau, France;
Paris Art Fair, Grand Palais, L’Estampe Gallery, Paris, France;
Group show « mouvement oscillant - Hans Hartung », Murmure Gallery, Colmar, France;
Solo show « Pierre Muckensturm à L’Estampe », Strasbourg, France;
Group show [GAUTIER & co] « L’expérience du choix », Cachan, France

2018 Group show « Antoni Tàpies », Murmure Gallery, Colmar, France;
Contemporary Art Fair ST-ART, L’Estampe Gallery, Strasbourg, France;
Tokyo International Mini-Print Triennial, Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan;
Art Elysées, Lacan Gallery, Paris, France;
« Journée de l’estampe contemporaine », Saint Sulpice Place, Paris, France;
Group show « Pierre Muckensturm - Go Segawa », Gaïa Gallery, Nantes, France;
Publication in the magazine « Actuel de l’Estampe », Editions K1L, Bruxelles, Belgium

2017 Contemporary Art Fair ST-ART, L’Estampe Gallery, Strasbourg, France;
Art Elysées, Lacan Gallery, Paris, France;
International Print Center: « New Prints 2017 / Summer », New York, USA;
Donosti Artean Art Fair, Leizorovici Gallery, San Sebastián, Spain;
Group show « fête de l’estampe », La Paix Gallery, Sélestat, France;
« Biennale de la gravure », La Boverie Museum, Liège, Belgium;
Group show « Artothèque, la nouvelle collection », La Roche-sur-Yon, France

2016 Solo show: "La courbe du carré", Galerie Lacan, Strasbourg, France;
Foire européenne d’art contemporain St’ART, Galerie L’Estampe, Strasbourg, France;
Art Elysées, Galerie Lacan, Paris, France;
« incomplétude + incertitude », Ancienne Abbaye de Marbach, France;
Salon international de l’estampe et du dessin, Grand Palais, Paris, Galerie Lacan, France;
Salon de l'édition d'art, Fondation Fernet-Branca, Editions Bucciali, Saint Louis, France;
Group show « Papiers », Galerie Alexandre Lazarew, Paris, France;
Art Karlsruhe, Galerie L’estampe, Karlsruhe, Germany;
Affordable Art Fair, Brussels, Editions Bucciali, Belgium

2015 Salon St'art, Editions Bucciali, Strasbourg, France;
Salon AAF Hamburg, Editions Bucciali, Germany;
Art Elysées, Editions Bucciali, France;
Solo show « croisements », Galerie Lazarew, Bruxelles, Belgium;
Group show « Lignes », Musée des Beaux Arts, Meaux, France;
Group show « Regards » sur l’art contemporain en Alsace, Strasbourg, France;
Salon de l’édition, Fondation Fernet-Branca, Editions Bucciali, Saint Louis, France;
Affordable Art Fair Maastricht, Editions Bucciali, Netherlands;
Affordable Art Fair Bruxelles, Editions Bucciali, Belgium;
Trowbridge Gallery, New York, USA;
Trowbridge Gallery, London, UK;
Galerie L'Estampe, Strasbourg, France

2014 Salon St'art, Editions Bucciali, Strasbourg, France;
Presentation at Ixc-edition, Tokyo, Japan;
Opening Night, Colmar, France;
Art Elysées, Editions Bucciali, Paris, France;
Trowbridge Gallery, New York, USA;
Trowbridge Gallery, London, UK;
Fine Art, Kurhaus Baden Baden, Editions Bucciali, Germany;
Affordable Art Fair Bruxelles, Editions Bucciali, Belgium;
Galerie L'Estampe, Strasbourg, France

2013 Salon NY NOW, New York, Trowbridge Gallery;
Salon St'art, Editions Bucciali, Strasbourg, France;
Trowbridge Gallery, New York, USA;
Trowbridge Gallery, London, UK;
The London Original Print Fair, Editions Bucciali, London, UK;
ART KARLSRUHE, Editions Bucciali, Karlsruhe, Germany;
AAF BRUXELLES, Editions Bucciali, Brussels, Belgium;
Galerie L'Estampe, Strasbourg, France

2012 "Indicibles Espaces", Galerie Art’course, Strasbourg, France (solo);
Trans Rhein Art, Réseau art contemporain Alsace, Opening Night, Colmar, France;
ART 3F, Editions Bucciali, Mulhouse, France;
Salon St'art, Editions Bucciali, Strasbourg, France;
Art Elysées, Editions Bucciali, Paris, France;
Affordable Art Fair Hamburg, Editions Bucciali, Germany;
Solo exhibition "advienne quand pourra", Galerie Rémy Bucciali, Colmar, France;
Salon Art Élysées, Editions Bucciali, Paris, France;
Salon Art Nîm, Editions Bucciali, Nîmes, France;
Collective exhibition, 197 Design, Brumath, France

2011 Creation of the first engravings in the "Lignes Contenues" series;
Collective exhibition, 197 Design, Brumath, France

2010 Residency and exhibition at Musée Boribana, Dakar, Senegal;
Exhibition at Crupi Architects, Colmar, France

2009 Open Studios, Colmar, France;
Design of a multidisciplinary installation, Les Anciens Thermes, Soultzbach, France

2008 Solo exhibition "Terrien-Céleste", Galerie Le Lézard, Colmar, France

2007 Open Studios organized by ACECA, Strasbourg, and Galerie Le Lézard, Colmar, France

2006 Exhibition at Espace CRÉA, Kingersheim, France

2005 Exhibition at Couvent des Dominicains, Guebwiller, France;
Open Studios organized by ACECA, Strasbourg, and Galerie Le Lézard, Colmar, France;
Solo exhibition at Original Design, Colmar, France

2004 Solo exhibition at Caractère, Colmar, France;
Solo exhibition "Kuntz im alten Spritzenhaus", Bahlingen/Freiburg, Germany

2003 Group exhibition at Galerie Sala Barna, Barcelona, Spain

2002 Exhibition at Galerie Les Petits Princes, Montréal, Canada;
Exhibition at Petit Ours Restaurant, Strasbourg, France;
Quai aux Arts Art Market, Strasbourg, France

2001 Group exhibition "W.E. Rue du Château", Centre Rhénan d'Art Contemporain, Altkirch, France

2000 Group exhibition "Avec le temps", CRAC Centre Rhénan d'Art Contemporain, Altkirch, France

1998 Design and realization of school exhibition "Déclics", Villa Steinbach, Mulhouse, France

1997 Group exhibition at I.U.F.M, Colmar, France

Collections

MTama Art University Museum, Tokyo, Japanusée du Petit Format, Nîmes, Belgium

Musée La Boverie, Liège, Belgium

Musée Boribana, Dakar, Senegal

International Print Center, New York, USA

Collection [GAUTIER & Co], Paris, France

Ville de Colmar, France

Ville de La Roche-sur-Yon, France

Ville de Kingersheim, France

Ville de La Rochelle, France

My Wishlist

Pierre Muckensturm

Education

Technique

Inspiration

Collections

Exhibitions

Galleries

Dana Gordon

Daniel Göttin

Louise Blyton

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Selected Exhibitions

Collections