Hermann Nitsch died two days ago. He was an Austrian avant-garde artist who was a main representative of the Viennese Actionism.
I knew of the Actionism movement for some years, but didn’t know anything about individuals behind it. With Nitsch passing, I thought it was time I looked into the movement again, with a focus on his work and his contribution.
Having grown up during World War II, Nitsch revealed his fascination with the intensity of religious feelings for life in his art work with excessive means such as taboo images, nudity, bloody scenes, and more. For this, he received several court trials, being charged with gross public indecency and sentenced to three prison terms.
“I want only to show what is. I never was interested to make provocation. I want to show intensity. And let’s say, maybe in intensity is a kind of provocation, but for me it always is important to show life and to celebrate life.”
Hermann Nitsch
