Rudolf Leitner-Gründberg
Short Profile
Rudolf Leitner-Gründberg, born in 1955 in Gründberg near Linz, Austria, studied Applied Arts at the «Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst» in Vienna. From an early age, he developed his own style of painting, which led him from the concrete to the poetic abstraction using precious metals, especially gold and silver leaf. The artist’s often large-format works, objects, and installations lead the viewer into a world behind the visible, carried by beauty and meditative silence. Gründberg sees art as meaningful, a path leading out of duality by overcoming pain.
After 40 years of tireless work, gold has become the artist’s trademark, alongside the symbol of the crown. The radiance of gold transcends the world of illusion and connects man with his essence. The artist’s work points to a deeper vision of what we are, thereby appealing to humanistic values. This vision of art is less intellectual than mystical in nature. It connects mind and heart through the quality of eros, the power of unifying Love. Gründberg is an exceptional artist who not only continues the tradition of gold painting, but also frees it from the purely decorative. His work has been shown and recognized in over 100 exhibitions and collections worldwide. The artist has lived and worked in the Wolfsbach community in Lower Austria since 1986.
Statement
»Vision is the highest possibility in our lives. Its symbol in my work, in my imagery, is the crown.«
Biographical Sketch
- 1955: Born in Gründberg near Linz, Austria
- 1970: Start of an apprenticeship in printing, followed by high school (Gymnasium)
- 1975: Visit of Oskar Kokoschkas atelier in Villeneuve, Switzerland
- 1976: Art study at the «Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst», Vienna
(master class under Oswald Osterhuber & Bazon Brock) - 1979: First attempts to use gold and silver in paintings (diploma work)
- 1980: Graduation under Oswald Osterhuber, since then: independent artist
Exhibitions & Projects (selection)
- 2021:
SHELTER
WBB GALLERY, Zurich - 2019:
Artemons Contemporary, Vienna - 2018:
Palazzo Ca Zanardi, Venice, Italy - 2017:
«Transfiguration»
WBB GALLERY
Zurich, Switzerland - 2015:
«Third Crown Project – New York»
LaGuardia Park
New York, USA - 2014:
«L’art pour l’esprit»
Richard J. Massey Foundation for Arts and Sciences
New York, USA - 2010:
«Dein glanzvoller Raum zwischen Augenblick und Ewigkeit»
Palais Kuenburg
Salzburg, Austria - 2008:
«La vita nuova»
Berlaymont Gebäude der Europäischen Union
Brussels, Belgium - 2007:
»Das vergessene Tuch der Zeit«
Max-Gandolph Bibliothek
Salzburg, Austria - 2002:
»Krone im Marmorsaal«
Stift St. Florian
St. Florian, Austria - 1999:
»Krone im Kaiserpark«
Installation with gold-leaf crown 14 min diameter, placed in the park of the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, Austria;
accompanying exhibition «Opus», Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Linz, Austria - 1995:
Exhibition «Ego rex sum»
Niederösterreichisches Landesmuseum
Vienna, Austria - 1994: Exhibition «Les rocher aux dames»
Musée des Beaux Arts (in collaboration with Galerie Weikhard-Cassaignau, Paris)
Chartres, France - 1991:
«Temporäres Monument – Die Krone am Gründberg»
Installation comprising 12 elements, each 4.0 × 8,5 m wide
Linz, Austria & Wartburg, Kunstverein Kassel, Germany
