The “Neue Wilde” of Cologne, also referred to as the “Mülheimer Freiheit”, exhibited their works at a shared studio located at “Mülheimer Freiheit no. 110” in Cologne-Mülheim. This group, known for its vigour and fervency, emerged following the footsteps of the Berlin “Wilden” (Wild Ones).
The “Mülheimer Freiheit” had a distinct artistic temperament, unlike the “Heftige Malerei” (Vigorous Painting) in Berlin which claimed to be a revolutionary style epoch. In contrast, Cologne boasted a stronger sense of artistic individuality. The artists of this group, Hans Peter Adamski (b. 1947), Peter Bömmels (b. 1951), Walter Dahn (b. 1954), Jiri Georg Dokoupil (b. 1954), Gerard Kever (b. 1956), and Gerhard Naschberger (b. 1955) cannot be limited to a common theme.
Peter Bömmels epitomized the individuality of the Cologne group with his words, “my pictures are about me”. Despite this emphasis on self-expression, group pieces by Walter Dahn and Jiri Georg Dokoupil were also created to protest against traditional art. Surrealist elements can be observed in many of Peter Bömmels’ works, while Hans Peter Adamski intentionally infused his works with encrypted messages.
www.ftn-books.com has many titles available on the artists of the Mulheimer Freiheit group.
