Paul FLORA was born on June 29, 1922 in Glurns in Vinschgau (South Tyrol). In 1927 the family moved to Innsbruck. From 1942 to 1944 Flora studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with Adolf Schinnerer and Olaf Gulbransson and attended two semesters of evening classes with Max von Esterle. In 1944 he was drafted for military service in Italy, Hungary and Slovakia. After a brief American captivity, Flora returned to Tyrol in 1945 and has since worked as a freelance artist. In the summer of 1945 he took part in the first Albacher Hochschulwochen, in the fall Paul Flora had his first exhibition in Bern, and in November 1945, at an exhibition in the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, his first public appearance in Innsbruck. In 1947 followed a solo exhibition at the Neue Galerie in Vienna, in 1949 in Munich. In 1948 Paul Flora became a member of the Art Club in Vienna. Through the mediation of Werner Scholz, he began working for the American daily newspaper for Germany, Die Neue Zeitung, in 1949. Between 1957 and 1971 he delivered weekly drawings to the Hamburg newspaper Die Zeit. During these years, he produced around 3000 political caricatures and Flora made a name for himself as a political cartoonist. His drawings have been published in international papers: The Times, Literary Supplement, Du, Dagens Nyheter and The Observer. In the early period of his work, he created many book illustrations of satirical content. In addition to portfolios and thematic compilations of his own works, Paul Flora illustrated books by Peter Hacks, Wolfgang Hildesheimer, Erich Kästner, Josef Müller-Marein, and Hans Weigel, among many others. The “catalog raisonné of illustrated books” (1992) includes 125 books and 10 portfolio works. In 1962 Paul Flora was appointed professor. He curated exhibitions for the municipal Taxis Gallery in Innsbruck from 1964 to 1992. In 1966 Flora participated in the Venice Biennale. Since 1986 Flora, the draftsman, caricaturist and illustrator, was a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. In 1963 he designed stage sets and between 1985 and 1998 several stamp series for Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein (including 1988 for the Summer and Winter Olympics). In 1989–91, several films by and about Paul Flora were made for ORF. The artist received numerous awards and honors, including the Prize of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, Prize of the Society for the Promotion of New Art, Vienna (1948), Medal of Honor of the Province of Tyrol (1959), Grand Federal Cross of Merit (1985), Grand Silver Medal of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria (2004). Paul Flora’s works are represented in public and private collections and museums at home and abroad and have been shown in numerous exhibitions and exhibition participations in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Holland, Italy and the USA, among others. Flora’s early work was strongly influenced by Alfred Kubin, with whom he shared an artistically fruitful friendship until Kubin’s death. Even before 1950 he radically broke with dense hatching and turned to fine, delicate drawing. Flora consistently developed an unmistakable stroke technique. The ironic and sarcastic drawings of the graphic artist, caricaturist and illustrator gained international recognition. Flora takes the viewer on an exciting journey through an imaginative and multifaceted pictorial world. Magical and mysterious landscapes, mysterious figures are just as much part of the artist’s repertoire of motifs as black ravens or bizarre human figures, which underline the humorous side of his work. The drawings, executed in ink pen or pencil, captivate with their precise strokes, which lend his works their special expressiveness. The artist lived and worked in Innsbruck. Paul Flora dies in Innsbruck on May 15, 2009.
1962 — first exhibition in the Welz gallery.
Paul FLORA was born on June 29, 1922 in Glurns in Vinschgau (South Tyrol). In 1927 the family moved to Innsbruck. From 1942 to 1944 Flora studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with Adolf Schinnerer and Olaf Gulbransson and attended two semesters of evening classes with Max von Esterle. In 1944 he was drafted for military service in Italy, Hungary and Slovakia. After a brief American captivity, Flora returned to Tyrol in 1945 and has since worked as a freelance artist. In the summer of 1945 he took part in the first Albacher Hochschulwochen, in the fall Paul Flora had his first exhibition in Bern, and in November 1945, at an exhibition in the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, his first public appearance in Innsbruck. In 1947 followed a solo exhibition at the Neue Galerie in Vienna, in 1949 in Munich. In 1948 Paul Flora became a member of the Art Club in Vienna. Through the mediation of Werner Scholz, he began working for the American daily newspaper for Germany, Die Neue Zeitung, in 1949. Between 1957 and 1971 he delivered weekly drawings to the Hamburg newspaper Die Zeit. During these years, he produced around 3000 political caricatures and Flora made a name for himself as a political cartoonist. His drawings have been published in international papers: The Times, Literary Supplement, Du, Dagens Nyheter and The Observer. In the early period of his work, he created many book illustrations of satirical content. In addition to portfolios and thematic compilations of his own works, Paul Flora illustrated books by Peter Hacks, Wolfgang Hildesheimer, Erich Kästner, Josef Müller-Marein, and Hans Weigel, among many others. The “catalog raisonné of illustrated books” (1992) includes 125 books and 10 portfolio works. In 1962 Paul Flora was appointed professor. He curated exhibitions for the municipal Taxis Gallery in Innsbruck from 1964 to 1992. In 1966 Flora participated in the Venice Biennale. Since 1986 Flora, the draftsman, caricaturist and illustrator, was a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. In 1963 he designed stage sets and between 1985 and 1998 several stamp series for Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein (including 1988 for the Summer and Winter Olympics). In 1989–91, several films by and about Paul Flora were made for ORF. The artist received numerous awards and honors, including the Prize of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, Prize of the Society for the Promotion of New Art, Vienna (1948), Medal of Honor of the Province of Tyrol (1959), Grand Federal Cross of Merit (1985), Grand Silver Medal of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria (2004). Paul Flora’s works are represented in public and private collections and museums at home and abroad and have been shown in numerous exhibitions and exhibition participations in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Holland, Italy and the USA, among others. Flora’s early work was strongly influenced by Alfred Kubin, with whom he shared an artistically fruitful friendship until Kubin’s death. Even before 1950 he radically broke with dense hatching and turned to fine, delicate drawing. Flora consistently developed an unmistakable stroke technique. The ironic and sarcastic drawings of the graphic artist, caricaturist and illustrator gained international recognition. Flora takes the viewer on an exciting journey through an imaginative and multifaceted pictorial world. Magical and mysterious landscapes, mysterious figures are just as much part of the artist’s repertoire of motifs as black ravens or bizarre human figures, which underline the humorous side of his work. The drawings, executed in ink pen or pencil, captivate with their precise strokes, which lend his works their special expressiveness. The artist lived and worked in Innsbruck. Paul Flora dies in Innsbruck on May 15, 2009.
1962 — first exhibition in the Welz gallery.
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