XANTI SCHAWINSKY, 2015

Alexander "Xanti" Schawinsky (born in 1904 in Basel, died in 1979 in Locarno) gained recognition during his lifetime primarily through his work in the theater department at the Bauhaus. Building on his experiences there, Schawinsky developed his theater theory of "Spectodrama" in the 1930s while teaching at the Black Mountain College, a legendary art school in North Carolina that provided refuge to many European emigrants during the Nazi era. "Spectodrama" consisted of multimedia performances that represented an early form of "Happening," later made famous at the same institution by John Cage. Schawinsky's painting practice also explored the boundaries of the medium and emphasized process, as seen in his Track series, which he "painted" using a car. In addition to the avant-garde utopias of the Bauhaus and proto-Happening art, Schawinsky's work connects to many other key movements in pre- and post-war modern art of the 20th century in Europe and the USA. His oeuvre can thus be read as emblematic of the transatlantic exchange of artistic ideas shaped by the political circumstances of the time, which left a lasting impact on art history.

Editors:
Raphael Gygax
Heike Munder

Authors:
Thorsten Blume
Eva Díaz
Raphael Gygax
Juliet Koss
Tobias Peper

German / English
ISBN: 978-3-03764-397-6

February 2015
Softcover, 201 x 272 mm
176 pages
Illustrations: 58 in color / 31 in b&w
Design: Studio Marie Lusa

Published by JRP|Ringier