Karl Stark

KARL STARK (1921 - 2011): Karl Stark was an Austrian Expressionist painter and sculptor born in Glojach, Styria, whose work was characterized by vigorous brushwork, richly applied color, and an expressive approach to landscape and the human figure. He studied sculpture at the Graz School of Applied Arts before studying painting with Rudolf Szyszkowitz and, beginning in 1947, at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts under Herbert Boeckl. Influenced by early Austrian Expressionists including Richard Gerstl, Jean Egger, and Boeckl, Stark developed a highly individual style in which color and gestural application became central elements of his compositions. After spending several years in Carinthia, where the surrounding landscape became a major source of inspiration, he returned to Vienna in 1958. Stark also taught graphics at the School of Applied Arts in Linz and exhibited internationally, including presentations at Galerie Ror Valmar in Paris and Galerie St. Etienne in New York. In 1980 he founded Galerie Austria in Vienna, while his paintings entered important Austrian collections, including the Belvedere, the Austrian Landesmuseum, and the Leopold Museum.