Josef Pillhofer
b. 1 June 1921 in Vienna (A); d. 30 July 2010 in Vienna (A); Austrian sculptor
The artist lived and worked in Vienna and Mürzzuschlag.
1938-1941 | Studied sculpture under Wilhelm Gösser and painting under Rudolf Szyszkowitz at the Graz school of arts and crafts. After serving in the army in the Second World War, he returned to the Graz school of arts and crafts. |
1947-1950 | Pupil of Fritz Wotruba at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna |
1950/51 | Exchange scholarship in Paris, attended the sculpture class held by Ossip Zadkine at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. During his stay in Paris he became acquainted with Constantin Brâncuși and Henri Laurens and this tempered the influence of Wotruba. |
1957 | Exchange scholarship in Rome |
1950er | Worked for the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna. For the museum's reopening in 1955, he created the bronze cast of Kaiser Maximilian I for one of the two artillery halls (Arsenal, building 2). He was also engaged in restoration work for the museum. |
Teaching posts:
1954-1970 | Lecturer and subsequently assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna |
1970-1981 | As a professor, head of the master class in sculpture at the Graz school of arts and crafts |
1972-1974 | Professor of sculptural design at Graz University of Technology |
Honours and Memberships:
1951 | State Award of the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna |
1955 - 1959 | Member of the Art Club |
1955 | Acceptance in the Vienna Secession |
1968 | Austrian State Award for Sculpture |
1979 | Award for Visual Arts of the City of Vienna |
1983 | Award for Visual Arts of the federal province of Styria |
1996 | Grand Decoration of Honour of the federal province of Styria |
2009 | Decoration for Science and Art, 1st Class |
Pillhofer created sculptures in stone, wood, clay and metal. His style was influenced by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, but cubists such as Henri Laurens and abstract artists such as Constantin Brâncuși also influenced his work. Pillhofer is regarded as one of the few abstract sculptors of the Wotruba School.
http://www.k-haus.at/de/ausstellung/55/josef-pillhofer.html
http://derstandard.at/1277339409570/Todesfall-Josef-Pillhofer-1921-2010