Menschliches, Allzumenschliches (Human, All Too Human)

23 June – 21 July 2013
Werkschau Halle 12, Spinnerei, Leipzig
  • Francis Mallett and Paul Somerville greet the first canvasses to arrive from the UK.

  • The hanging team. Left to right: John-Paul Somerville, Kevin and Wayne Lewis, Ben Somerville, Francis Mallett.

  • Exhibition co-sponsors Paul Somerville and A J Acker lend a hand before opening night. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • The Werkschau gallery at Leipzig's Spinnerei. Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Film-maker Jeremy Elman with Anna Navas (right) and Tova Lenkiewicz. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Francis Mallett, curator of the show, addresses the guests at the opening night. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Opening night, 22 June 2013. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Panel discussion, Sunday 23 June. The panellists were Prof. Arno Rink (holding microphone), artists Rayk Goetze (right) and Miriam Vlaming (left), and curator Francis Mallett (second right) from The Lenkiewicz Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Mark Gisbourne. — at Spinnerei, Leipzig.

  • Panel discussion, Sunday 23 June.

  • Panel discussion, Sunday 23 June.

  • Panel discussion, Sunday 23 June.

  • Panel discussion, Sunday 23 June.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell's demonstration of tonal painting at the Spinnerei, 13 July 2013.

  • Louise Courtnell with sitter Heide Bernhöft-Hansche.

First solo show by British painter Robert Lenkiewicz (1941–2002) in Germany / Leipzig

The first exhibition in Germany of paintings by British artist Robert Lenkiewicz (1941-2002) will take place this year. The Lenkiewicz Foundation has organized the exhibition, to be held at The Spinnerei, Leipzig between 23 June and 21 July. The ten-year anniversary of the artist’s death was marked last year in the South West of England with a large-scale exhibition entitled Human, All Too Human and this show, in greatly expanded form, will travel to Leipzig under its German title – Menschliches, Allzumenschliches.

This landmark show will be the largest exhibition of the artist’s work to date, recognizing a number of cultural and biographical connections between Lenkiewicz and Leipzig. His Polish-born Jewish father was a horse trader in Saxony before escaping just prior to World War II. According to family tradition Lenkiewicz’s great grandfather was court painter to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. His great grandfather’s portrait hung in the Jewish hotel in London run by his parents where Lenkiewicz grew up. Encouraged by his mother, Lenkiewicz became fascinated by the great figures of nineteenth century German culture, in particular, the work of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, whose phrase ‘Menschliches, Allzumenschliches’ lends its title to this exhibition.

The Lenkiewicz Foundation has enjoyed much recent success in the UK with a busy programme of exhibitions and educational events, thanks in large part to the remarkable philanthropy of American patron AJ Acker, whose collection forms an important part of the exhibition.

“Much as Leipzig has created for itself a distinctive painting notoriety set apart from other traditional centres of German art such as Berlin and Cologne, so the painter Lenkiewicz created a unique and personal engagement with figurative realism in British painting. His paintings, like the contemporary Leipzig painters of today, are singular and distinct from the historical British art scene that still continues to be dominated by London.” (Mark Gisbourne, writer and art critic)

When this exhibition was previewed in Lenkiewicz’s adopted home city of Plymouth in 2012, it attracted over six thousand visitors in less than a month. The showing in Germany will be significantly expanded to more than 100 works and will include content from Lenkiewicz’s beautifully illustrated hand-bound Project notebooks, many of which will be displayed for the first time. The Foundation's spokesperson Anna Navas explained:

We feel there is a natural affinity between the city of Leipzig and the work of Robert Lenkiewicz. Painting in the figurative tradition, his work was deeply unfashionable with the established British art scene of the late twentieth century, whereas there are clear links with the painters of the Leipzig school. This exhibition is both an opportunity to introduce Leipzig to Lenkiewicz’s work and ideas, and at the same time, a reunion with the culture so instrumental in forging them.

View a video introduction by curator Francis Mallett here.

Transcript in English of the panel discussion held on Sunday 23 June.

Check the Events listing for gallery guides and other scheduled events.

For further Information:
Address:
WERKSCHAU
Spinnereistr. 7
Halle 12
04179 Leipzig

www.spinnerei.de

Some of the Works shown at this exhibition

Belle Pecorini with rag doll Belle in the Kitchen. Diogenes at Night in Studio Window.
‘Mouse’ with Wool – Interior. Group in Eton Avenue Studio.
Self-Portrait with Letter. St Bartholomew or St Jerome in Piero di...
The Painter with Samantha. The Painter with Benedikte.
Reuben with needle. Study of Kevin Gasson.
Syd sniffing glue. The Rape/The Mocking of Christ by the...
The Father Eats His Son. The Painter Holding Himself When Ninety.
Sketches for 'Study of the Painter... Study of the Painter’s Dead Mother.
Still-Life: three chairs. Mary Flayed, Marsyas.
The line of thought manufactures fear. The claw moves in the stomach as she...
Lovers' Meeting. The Painter With Mary in Newspaper Magi...
Self-Portrait Fantasising Playing Mary... Self-Portrait.
Man Killing Himself. Angel killing himself to get to earth;...
Suicide. Florence Kate Harvey – 103 years old.
Old Women of the Almshouse Old Women of the Almshouse. Old Men of the Almshouse.
Self-Portrait. Aesthetic Note. 'Uniquely rich...
Aesthetic Note. 5 April 78 - '... Aesthetic Note. 31 March 1978 - '...
Painter, Amelie and Cat. Aesthetic Note. 8 February 1978 -...
Aesthetic Note. 31 March 1978 -... Go away! Nearer!
Physiology (Lover With Four Memories). Woman Walking Away.
My right arm, you were like my right... Man Holding Woman’s Dress, Watching Her...
Man Eating His Heart and Entrails. Plymouth Mourning Over its Unfortunates.
The Painter with Courbet’s Self-... You Offer Me a Dead Rose, May I Give...
Barbara Bridgeman and Caroline Young. Mr & Mrs Greep with Francis, Tracey...
Self-Portrait (after Franz Xaver... Mr Fisher (The Bishop) in Pierrot...
Mr Fisher (Bishop) with bottle of Strongbow. 1973 Mr Fisher (Bishop) with bottle of... Study of John Kynance (one week before...
Still-born in the Kitchen Diogenes and Belle at prayer with chairs
The Putrefaction of Diogenes The Judgement of Paris (Death & the...
large canvas at Devonport Guildhall Plymouth Building its Future

Some of the Works shown at this exhibition

Belle Pecorini with rag doll Belle in the Kitchen.
Diogenes at Night in Studio Window.
‘Mouse’ with Wool – Interior.
Group in Eton Avenue Studio.
Self-Portrait with Letter.
St Bartholomew or St Jerome in Piero di...
The Painter with Samantha.
The Painter with Benedikte.
Reuben with needle.
Study of Kevin Gasson.
Syd sniffing glue.
The Rape/The Mocking of Christ by the...
The Father Eats His Son.
The Painter Holding Himself When Ninety.
Sketches for 'Study of the Painter...
Study of the Painter’s Dead Mother.
Still-Life: three chairs.
Mary Flayed, Marsyas.
The line of thought manufactures fear.
The claw moves in the stomach as she...
Lovers' Meeting.
The Painter With Mary in Newspaper Magi...
Self-Portrait Fantasising Playing Mary...
Self-Portrait.
Man Killing Himself.
Angel killing himself to get to earth;...
Suicide.
Florence Kate Harvey – 103 years old.
Old Women of the Almshouse Old Women of the Almshouse.
Old Men of the Almshouse.
Self-Portrait.
Aesthetic Note. 'Uniquely rich...
Aesthetic Note. 5 April 78 - '...
Aesthetic Note. 31 March 1978 - '...
Painter, Amelie and Cat.
Aesthetic Note. 8 February 1978 -...
Aesthetic Note. 31 March 1978 -...
Go away! Nearer!
Physiology (Lover With Four Memories).
Woman Walking Away.
My right arm, you were like my right...
Man Holding Woman’s Dress, Watching Her...
Man Eating His Heart and Entrails.
Plymouth Mourning Over its Unfortunates.
The Painter with Courbet’s Self-...
You Offer Me a Dead Rose, May I Give...
Barbara Bridgeman and Caroline Young.
Mr & Mrs Greep with Francis, Tracey...
Self-Portrait (after Franz Xaver...
Mr Fisher (The Bishop) in Pierrot...
Mr Fisher (Bishop) with bottle of Strongbow. 1973 Mr Fisher (Bishop) with bottle of...
Study of John Kynance (one week before...
Still-born in the Kitchen
Diogenes and Belle at prayer with chairs
The Putrefaction of Diogenes
The Judgement of Paris (Death & the...
large canvas at Devonport Guildhall Plymouth Building its Future

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