Franz Grab­mayr, born in 1927 on the Pfaf­fen­berg in Obervel­lach (Carinthia), trained as an appren­tice. The exhi­bi­tion “Young Carinthi­an Tal­ents” in Kla­gen­furt, in which he par­tic­i­pat­ed in 1952, awak­ened in him the desire for pro­fes­sion­al train­ing. In 1954 he began study­ing at the Acad­e­my of Fine Arts in Vien­na with Prof. R. C. Ander­sen and Her­bert Boeckl. In 1962 he gave up his teach­ing pro­fes­sion and from then on worked as a free­lance artist. Start­ing in 1964, he cre­at­ed large-for­mat land­scape paint­ings and, from the mid-1960s, the leg­endary sand pit paint­ings, and lat­er the series of “Tanzblät­ter” (“Dance Sheets”). In 1964 Grab­mayr moved into a wing of the vacant Renais­sance Rose­nau Cas­tle. In the years 1966 to 1971 he paints prefer­ably in a near­by sand pit. In 1973 Franz Grab­mayr moved to Ober­strahlbach near Zwet­tl. The artist spends the win­ters in his stu­dio in the Karl-Marx-Hof in Vien­na. In 1981, the idea of a trav­el­ing work­shop is born. In the 1980s, the Sand Pit artist worked on night and fire paint­ings. Impres­sive scenes with dancers around the camp­fire, which Grab­mayr staged on his Low­er Aus­tri­an farm, are cap­tured on can­vas­es. In 1984 Franz Grab­mayr was award­ed the title of pro­fes­sor. In 1997 the artist returned to the Wald­vier­tel. In sum­mer he works in the Uttis­senbach in the Wald­vier­tel and in win­ter in his stu­dio in Vien­na. In 2002, on the occa­sion of his 75th birth­day, his life’s work up to that time was pre­sent­ed at the Öster­re­ichis­che Galerie im Oberen Belvedere in Vien­na. In the mass­es of col­or wild­ly applied to the pic­ture sup­ports, the ele­ments of water, fire, sky and earth appear again and again. Franz Grab­mayr found inspi­ra­tion for his expres­sive, pow­er­ful works in nature.
The artist passed away in Vien­na on May 8, 2015.
2004 – first exhi­bi­tion in the gallery Welz.

Franz Grab­mayr, born in 1927 on the Pfaf­fen­berg in Obervel­lach (Carinthia), trained as an appren­tice. The exhi­bi­tion “Young Carinthi­an Tal­ents” in Kla­gen­furt, in which he par­tic­i­pat­ed in 1952, awak­ened in him the desire for pro­fes­sion­al train­ing. In 1954 he began study­ing at the Acad­e­my of Fine Arts in Vien­na with Prof. R. C. Ander­sen and Her­bert Boeckl. In 1962 he gave up his teach­ing pro­fes­sion and from then on worked as a free­lance artist. Start­ing in 1964, he cre­at­ed large-for­mat land­scape paint­ings and, from the mid-1960s, the leg­endary sand pit paint­ings, and lat­er the series of “Tanzblät­ter” (“Dance Sheets”). In 1964 Grab­mayr moved into a wing of the vacant Renais­sance Rose­nau Cas­tle. In the years 1966 to 1971 he paints prefer­ably in a near­by sand pit. In 1973 Franz Grab­mayr moved to Ober­strahlbach near Zwet­tl. The artist spends the win­ters in his stu­dio in the Karl-Marx-Hof in Vien­na. In 1981, the idea of a trav­el­ing work­shop is born. In the 1980s, the Sand Pit artist worked on night and fire paint­ings. Impres­sive scenes with dancers around the camp­fire, which Grab­mayr staged on his Low­er Aus­tri­an farm, are cap­tured on can­vas­es. In 1984 Franz Grab­mayr was award­ed the title of pro­fes­sor. In 1997 the artist returned to the Wald­vier­tel. In sum­mer he works in the Uttis­senbach in the Wald­vier­tel and in win­ter in his stu­dio in Vien­na. In 2002, on the occa­sion of his 75th birth­day, his life’s work up to that time was pre­sent­ed at the Öster­re­ichis­che Galerie im Oberen Belvedere in Vien­na. In the mass­es of col­or wild­ly applied to the pic­ture sup­ports, the ele­ments of water, fire, sky and earth appear again and again. Franz Grab­mayr found inspi­ra­tion for his expres­sive, pow­er­ful works in nature.
The artist passed away in Vien­na on May 8, 2015.
2004 – first exhi­bi­tion in the gallery Welz.


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