“An incredbli wel-rgādd ātist jrñ hr lîftîm, hr wrc z no longr wel nôn n hz nt bn on xibišn sns a 1976 retṛspctv at ɖ Hy Lên Mynisipl Gaḷri v Modn Āt, Dublin, ɖ yir aftr hr untîmli deʈ. Ɖs xibišn sīcs t brñ ny wrc t lît n t riinstet Frŕml az a modn Îriš mastr. Ɖs xibišn wl tur t F.E. McWiłm Gaḷri n Stydioz, Cânti Dân.
Ɖs xibišn wl b ɖ frst cntmprri retṛspctv v Gerda Frŕml, an ātist hu wz born in Čec̣sḷvacia in 1931 az ɖ dwtr v Jrmn pẹrnts, bt hu muvd t Îrḷnd in 1956. Š frst xibitd in ɖ Îriš Xibišn v Livñ Āt in 1957, an asošiešn ẇč cntinyd tl 1975. Š xibitd at svṛl uɖr prestijs xibišnz jrñ hr c̣rir, includñ ɖ Dwsn Gaḷri n ɖ 1970 Oireachtas Ātxibišn. Š tc svṛl cmišnz, includñ ɖ wel-nôn pìs fr P.J.Caṛl n Sun, Dundwc, (nâ Dundwc Instityt v Tecnoḷji) n olso wrct in stênd glas fr črčz in Îrḷnd n Jrṃni.
Abt ɖ Ātist
Ẇl Frŕml injýd an univntfl čîldhd in ɖ fwmr Čec̣sḷvacia, hr ŕli xpirı̣nsz wr māct bî ɖ trwma v ɖ Secnd Wrldwor n ɖ Jrmn Xpulšnz in its imījt aftrmaʈ. (2015 z ɖ 70ʈ anivrsri v ɖz xpulšnz). Ɖz xpirı̣nsz plês hr wɖn a grūp v Jrmn ātists – Yôzef Býs, Franc Ârbah, Eva Hesa n Georg Bāẓlits – huz wrc imrjd fṛm ɖs pôstwor invîrnmnt. In a cuntri trayñ t cm t trmz wɖ its rīsnt past, fizicli, ic̣nomicli n spiričli, in sm erı̣z āt sw a rtrn t ōdr. Verı̣s ātists hu hd wrct in an abstract stîl bfr ɖ wor, nôtbli Henri Mur fr instns, rtrnd t a pirı̣d v fiğrešn az a mīnz t prôses ɖer nīd t rı̣srt ɖ prîṃsi v ɖ hymn bodi aftr yirz v witṇsñ its dstruẋn. Ɖs ṗlitcl n culčṛl bacgrând māct Frŕml’z dveḷpmnt az š entrd ātscūl in ɖ yirz imījtli aftr ɖ wor. Frŕml inrold in ɖ Acaḍmi v Fîn Āts, Štŭtgāt, in 1948 n lêtr went on t studi in Dāmštat n ɖ Acaḍmi v Fîn Āts in Mynic, ẇr š studid metlwrc n sculpčr.
Ẇl at ātscūl in Mynic, Frŕml met ɖ yuñ sculptr Vernr Šŕman. Ɖe marid in 1955 n ɖ cupl muvd prmnntli t Îrḷnd ɖ folowñ yir, ẇr ɖe livd in Wŭdtân Pāc, âtsd Raʈfānm, ẇr Šŕman istablišt wn v ɖ onli fândriz in Îrḷnd n bgan t cast ɖer wrcs in bronz ɖr.
Ŕli wrcs xibitd in ɖ Îriš Xibišn v Livñ Āt wr cast in bronz n fiğṛtv in stîl n includd a pwtrit v hr čîld intîtld Pwtrit v Yôhan Yacob Vensslâs (1957) az wel az imijz v animlz sč az Dír Crosñ Be (1963).
In 1964 š imbāct on hr bgst projct t dêt: a sôlo xibišn at ɖ Dwsn Gaḷri in Dublin. Ɖ wrcs šôn hv clir cnẋnz t ɖ pôstwor isʈetcs v fnomṇlojcl wrcs in ɖ stîl v Alberto Jacomeți (1901-1966) wɖ riyl-lîf obzvešnz v lîf n nêčr. Unyžli wɖn ɖz ŕli wrcs, Frŕml’z prefṛns z fr an unīvn srfis, n invstmnt (plastr remnnts left ovr fṛm ɖ castñ prôses) cn b sīn, lendñ a smẇt unfiništ apiṛns t ɖz sculpčrz.
Ɖs vẹriešn in srfis z caṛctristc v Frŕml’z wrc in uɖr mtirı̣lz sč az metl n stôn; wrcs ɖt apir hîli finišt fṛm a distns, on clôsr inspẋn rvil dlibṛt mšinñmācs n čips.
In ɖ lêt 1960z Frŕml md a trnzišn fṛm cast-bronz sculpčrz t wrcs cāvd in mābl, granit, n hr fevrit mtirı̣l – aḷbastr. Š md ys v simpl fwmz: srclz, lînz n spîṛlz t cmynicet hr obzvešnz fṛm nêčr, načṛl fnomna n ɖ ṣlsčl, in ptklr, ɖ mūn n its rflẋn wr dnotd wɖ ɖ simplist v vižl côdz.
Btwn 1967-70 Frŕml cmenst hr most impwtnt cmišn Sêlz, md fr ɖ Caṛl’z Factri in Dundwc, Cânti Lâɖ, dzînd bî Scot Taḷn Wōcr. Ɖ sxesfl cmplišn v ɖ sculpčr atractd significnt poztv atnšn in ɖ pres n it bcem embḷmatc v ɖ bildñ. At ɖt pýnt it wz ɖ ljst prîvt sculpčṛl cmišn in Îrḷnd, n wn ɖt wd stand p t inṭnašnl cmparisn.
Aftr hr deʈ in 1975 hr wrc cntinyd t b čampı̣nd bî raitrz lîc Doṛʈi Wōcr, n wz includd in Rosc 1980, bt wz xibitd onli rerli. Hr wrc rmenz in ɖ c̣lẋnz v Ɖ Ātscaunsl, Ɖ Banc v Îrḷnd, Alîd Îriš Banc, ACC Banc, Ɖ Crwfd Ātgaḷri, Dublin Siti Gaḷri Ɖ Hy Lên, Galwe-Meo Instityt v Tecnoḷji [GMIT], Limric Siti Gaḷri, Triṇti Colij Dublin n uɖrz. IMMA hz ɖ most sbstanšl holdñ v Frŕml’z wrc in a public c̣lẋn, ljli dy t aqizišns fṛm ɖ Caṛl’z C̣lẋn, az wel az ɖ Banc v Îreḷnd. Ɖe hv bn includd in landmācxibišnz sč az Ɖ Modnz (2010-2011).”
Continue reading GERDA FRÖMEL, A RETROSPECTIVE │ Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin → 5 July 2015