Ernst Gamperl: Urkraft

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The relationship that internationally renowned artist Ernst Gamperl (b. 1965) has developed with wood as a living material, together with the knowledge of the inescapable nature of serendipity, is a source of creative inspiration as well as the driving force behind his work one revolving around the artist's deep connection with nature and respect for his raw material. Trees are an integral part of creation, symbols of life and strength that Gamperl has studied for years in symbiosis with their essence and nature. His unconventional approach to the material, combined with a revolutionary technique and an original interpretation, results in works that are captivating in their elegance and charisma and stir the viewer, who discovers something never before encountered.

This monograph provides a comprehensive examination of the life and work of Ernst Gamperl in which individual chapters present various work groups, including his well-known Tree of Life project: from a massive oak, around 230 years old, that was uprooted by a hurricane. Ninety-seven vessels were created from its wood, extending a dignified afterlife to the venerable tree. Other chapters are devoted to the Houghton Oak Project, his work for Issey Miykae, and the current exhibition at Galerie Handwerk in Munich, among others.