Art in Vienna:
A Visit with Michael Fuchs

© 2001 article and photo by Herb Ranharter
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

August 2001: Just outside of Vienna, going west along the Danube, lies the town of Klosterneuburg . This is where the Michael Fuchs studio is. It is a place that was originally built as an artists studio and was previously owned by a well known artist. The house serves as residence and studio. The studio itself affords ample room and splendid, indirect light. This is where I met Michael Fuchs on a rainy afternoon in July.

Michael Fuch's father, Professor Ernst Fuchs, who preceded him as a well known artist of international fame, was originally the trigger that set me on my artistic career. This made this particular meeting especially interesting for me. Since I am an academic printmaker and Michael Fuchs also makes prints, the conversation soon turned about the new ways of producing prints and how they play in today's artistic environment. "Giclee" (computer propelled ink), a term troublesome to some because of the implications of mass production, but a god-send to others because of the economy of the process, was soon in the discussion.

Michael appeared somewhat unresolved about it, but the consensus was that it is here to stay just as so many other processes remained to become accepted. Ultimately it is the information and the skill contained in the work that makes an art work and without that hard earned skill the artwork will remain dilettante no matter how much technology gets thrown at it. We agreed that it is true that the process shapes the work to a degree, which gives the work character, but so will the new tools that have their own character as well. Who knows what may still arise from these possibilities.

The conversation brushed on pricing and my old answer to how long it takes to make a drawing (in an naive attempt to establish cost) : "Thirty years and fifteen minutes" found a resounding echo in Michael Fuchs when he exclaimed that he virtually uses the same line. We exchanged a few more stories about interactions with our customers, exchanged web addresses and phone numbers and parted after a brief photo session.

I think you will agree that Michael Fuchs's web site speaks volumes more than I could impart and I strongly recommend you visit http://www.michael-fuchs.at/slideshow/frhaupts.htm and explore his work thoroughly.

Herb Ranharter
http://www.delARTe.com.

E-mail