Art for all the senses
Hermann Nitsch was one of the co-founders of Viennese Actionism and an extremely versatile artist whose works have gained acclaim worldwide.
Hermann Nitsch was born in Vienna in 1938, where he went on to work as a graphic designer at the Technical Museum after training at the Higher Graphical Federal Education and Research Institute. Already as a young man he was interested in abstract art, poetry, the theatre and classical music, and started work on his idea of “Orgies Mysteries Theatre”. In his painting actions the focus was on the sensual experience of various substances and fluids. Time and again, however, these actions triggered protests, and he was sent to prison as a result. He regarded his “Orgies Mysteries Theatre”, which combines music, theatre, painting and performances, as a complete work of art in which art transcends the borders of reality and becomes a physical experience. The plays were regularly put on in Nitsch’s castle in the Lower Austrian town of Prinzendorf. Nitsch also taught at universities of art and put on actions at locations in Austria and abroad. His paintings are exhibited in numerous museums. He passed away in 2022.
Hermann Nitsch’s actionist painting also manifested in his famous splatter paintings, for which he sometimes also used actual blood. In later splatter paintings the blood red and black were replaced by lighter colours such as yellow, orange, pink or green, reflecting a zest for life. The design on the stamp shows a splatter painting from 2020. The paint was spread using his hands, creating a relief effect, while the vortical structure is reminiscent of flowers.
