Franz Priking

PRIKING Franz (1929-1979) Born August 7, 1929 in Mülheim (Rhineland). His civil servant father introduced him to artistic knowledge very early on. 1939-45 During this pivotal period from childhood to adolescence, war marks young Franz forever. 1945-47 discovery of Expressionism, a movement which had been completely obscured by official Nazi art. For PRIKING it is a real revelation and he will remain faithful to the general principles of this School all his life 1947 Death of father PRIKING 1948 He leaves to study at the Bauhaus in Weimar then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin where he was the pupil of Max PECHSTEIN, one of the founders of the Die BRÜCKE movement. 1948-49 Meeting with Bertolt BRECHT who offers him hospitality for ten months and initiates him into Socialist Realism, which completely cold Franz, passionate as he was by a more innovative Art. 1950 Short stay in Paris. From there he reached the South of France and settled temporarily in Villeneuve lès Avignon. 1951 First collective exhibition at the Réattu Museum in Arles. 1952 With the money from a portrait he has just sold, PRIKING goes to Vallauris to meet PICASSO. He will stay there for eight months. The Master advises and encourages him by telling him "You will be one of the best painters of your generation". Return to the Avignon region at Barbentane. Hard work. 1955 First major solo exhibition at Galerie MOTTE in Geneva, then at DROUANT-DAVID in Paris in 1957. The exhibitions will then continue until his death, in Paris, London, Geneva, Rome, Brussels, Strasbourg, Aix en Provence, Menton, Tokyo, Sao-Paulo etc…. 1958 Winner of the Young Painting Prize in Paris. 1961 Elected member of the International Institute of Arts and Letters of Geneva. 1960s Moves to Oppède in the Lubéron not far from Apt. 1972 Prize of the Mediterranean Union of Modern Art. Léonard de VINCI Prize. 1979 Mysterious death of Franz PRIKING at the age of fifty. MAIN MUSEUMS AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS In France: MNAM Paris, Musée CALVET in Avignon In Italy: Vatican Museum (Rome) In America: Museum of Santiago (Chile), Museum of Santa-Fé (Mexico) In the United States works by Franz PRIKING are present in no less than thirty-nine Museums, Foundations and Universities.