Bringing success to the point
Zurich artist Max Grüter has created a new trophy for the advertiser of the year
Zurich artist Max Grüter has created a new trophy for the Advertiser of the YearBy Andreas PanzeriWith his kit art, Max Grüter has developed a new kind of sculpture. The Zurich sculptor has also become known to a wider audience through his regular cover pictures for the folio of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, as well as through his computer graphics in the SonntagsZeitung. Now, commissioned by WerbeWoche, Max Grüter has found an ideal form for the Advertiser of the Year.
"Working on the computer can have a great sensual appeal. It doesn't bother me that I can no longer feel any material with my hands," says Max Grüter when asked whether he wouldn't miss kneading, soldering or casting if he only created his three-dimensional objects on the computer. The newly created sculpture for the Advertiser of the Year is also exclusively a screen birth. "In the past, I still worked relatively classically. But then the computer kind of hit home with me," says Max Grüter about his changed working style.
A sculpture is first created in the form of three-dimensional plans using a powerful CAD program on the computer. Then the data is transmitted by e-mail to the foundry or other artisanal production facility, where the figure is ultimately physically produced. "With this method, you approach a story differently, more in your head and more playfully at the same time," Grüter believes.
As a sculptor, he was probably one of the first artists to use this method. In the industrial sector of designers, however, this computer technology is already the norm in many cases. It is therefore no coincidence that Grüter has chosen mass production as the subject of his current artistic works.
Serial art as a critique of mass production
"Prefabricated" is what he called, for example, his 99-fold construction kit parts, which were available individually 66 times, but which could also be purchased 33 times as a unit. The various 33-fold objects, which at the Alte Fabrik Rapperswil on the occasion of Grüter's last major exhibition in 1998 were intended to provoke reflection on the absurdity of mass production, are made from plastic forms of everyday objects.
Whole rows of gold bars - or rows of brown branches, each bearing five green triple leaves punched out in exactly the same size, or a human family in a "clone union" form Grüter's witty but at the same time oppressive paradoxes of industrial society.
Grüter is also occupied with such "repetitions" in his current work. He is represented on the art market by the Schedler Gallery on Josefstrasse in Zurich. He has recently moved his studio from Oerlikon to Kernstrasse in Kreis 4. "There is a greater chance that someone will visit me in person from time to time," Grüter says.
Born in 1955 in Langnau am Albis, he completed his studies in 1976 at the Zurich School of Applied Arts as a graphic designer. He then worked freelance as an illustrator, painter and object artist. "I also worked for advertising in my younger years," Grüter reveals.
Later he taught at the Kunstgewerbeschule or was responsible as art director for the legendary theater troupe Zampanoo's Variété. Various solo and group exhibitions, from the Hannibal Gallery to Andy Jllien or at the Düsseldorf advertising agency Grey showed Grüter's work.
His Master's Voice reveals paternity
In 1998, Grüter received a gold award from the Type Directors Club New York and an award from the Art Directors Club New York. Since 1991, the artist has worked as art director for the cover of the magazine NZZ Folio. Graphic works can also be found regularly in Tamedia publications. What is special about these illustrations is that they are also designed on the computer like three-dimensional sculptures. "You can bypass the object in your mind," says Max Grüter about the idea of this special visual effect.
When designing the award for the "Advertiser of the Year," Grüter "first thought of a trophy, because a trophy is the classic winner's prize." Oscar from Hollywood was also a bit of a godfather. Grüter was inspired by the old logo "His Master's Voice," because the advertiser basically also has to be the most obedient voice possible of his master.
The tube symbolizes the shouting of the market. Between it and the victory pyramid, the advertiser seems almost a little squeezed in. "The advertiser seems to me to be in an unfortunate situation there between the pressure to succeed and the audience," philosophizes Max Grüter. But it is a particularly successful refinement that the little man (advertiser) wedged between the mission (pyramid) and the means of communication (megaphone) is located in the successful sculpture exactly at the interface where success is also brought to the point.
Whether the newly created advertising Oscar in Switzerland will ultimately be christened Rudolph, Jean Etienne, Markus, Jost, Reinhold or Hermann, the public will not find out until January 18 at the Zurich Rohstofflager. The election party will be hosted by Radio 24 man Christian Handelsman. For the trophy presentation, including the winner's kiss, WerbeWoche has been able to engage none other than the reigning Miss Switzerland, Mahara McKay.
PARTY PROGRAM
"Working on the computer can have a great sensual appeal. It doesn't bother me that I can no longer feel any material with my hands," says Max Grüter when asked whether he wouldn't miss kneading, soldering or casting if he only created his three-dimensional objects on the computer. The newly created sculpture for the Advertiser of the Year is also exclusively a screen birth. "In the past, I still worked relatively classically. But then the computer kind of hit home with me," says Max Grüter about his changed working style.
A sculpture is first created in the form of three-dimensional plans using a powerful CAD program on the computer. Then the data is transmitted by e-mail to the foundry or other artisanal production facility, where the figure is ultimately physically produced. "With this method, you approach a story differently, more in your head and more playfully at the same time," Grüter believes.
As a sculptor, he was probably one of the first artists to use this method. In the industrial sector of designers, however, this computer technology is already the norm in many cases. It is therefore no coincidence that Grüter has chosen mass production as the subject of his current artistic works.
Serial art as a critique of mass production
"Prefabricated" is what he called, for example, his 99-fold construction kit parts, which were available individually 66 times, but which could also be purchased 33 times as a unit. The various 33-fold objects, which at the Alte Fabrik Rapperswil on the occasion of Grüter's last major exhibition in 1998 were intended to provoke reflection on the absurdity of mass production, are made from plastic forms of everyday objects.
Whole rows of gold bars - or rows of brown branches, each bearing five green triple leaves punched out in exactly the same size, or a human family in a "clone union" form Grüter's witty but at the same time oppressive paradoxes of industrial society.
Grüter is also occupied with such "repetitions" in his current work. He is represented on the art market by the Schedler Gallery on Josefstrasse in Zurich. He has recently moved his studio from Oerlikon to Kernstrasse in Kreis 4. "There is a greater chance that someone will visit me in person from time to time," Grüter says.
Born in 1955 in Langnau am Albis, he completed his studies in 1976 at the Zurich School of Applied Arts as a graphic designer. He then worked freelance as an illustrator, painter and object artist. "I also worked for advertising in my younger years," Grüter reveals.
Later he taught at the Kunstgewerbeschule or was responsible as art director for the legendary theater troupe Zampanoo's Variété. Various solo and group exhibitions, from the Hannibal Gallery to Andy Jllien or at the Düsseldorf advertising agency Grey showed Grüter's work.
His Master's Voice reveals paternity
In 1998, Grüter received a gold award from the Type Directors Club New York and an award from the Art Directors Club New York. Since 1991, the artist has worked as art director for the cover of the magazine NZZ Folio. Graphic works can also be found regularly in Tamedia publications. What is special about these illustrations is that they are also designed on the computer like three-dimensional sculptures. "You can bypass the object in your mind," says Max Grüter about the idea of this special visual effect.
When designing the award for the "Advertiser of the Year," Grüter "first thought of a trophy, because a trophy is the classic winner's prize." Oscar from Hollywood was also a bit of a godfather. Grüter was inspired by the old logo "His Master's Voice," because the advertiser basically also has to be the most obedient voice possible of his master.
The tube symbolizes the shouting of the market. Between it and the victory pyramid, the advertiser seems almost a little squeezed in. "The advertiser seems to me to be in an unfortunate situation there between the pressure to succeed and the audience," philosophizes Max Grüter. But it is a particularly successful refinement that the little man (advertiser) wedged between the mission (pyramid) and the means of communication (megaphone) is located in the successful sculpture exactly at the interface where success is also brought to the point.
Whether the newly created advertising Oscar in Switzerland will ultimately be christened Rudolph, Jean Etienne, Markus, Jost, Reinhold or Hermann, the public will not find out until January 18 at the Zurich Rohstofflager. The election party will be hosted by Radio 24 man Christian Handelsman. For the trophy presentation, including the winner's kiss, WerbeWoche has been able to engage none other than the reigning Miss Switzerland, Mahara McKay.
PARTY PROGRAM
All readers of WerbeWoche are cordially invited to the "Werber des Jahres" party. You can register at www.werberdes
jahres.ch or tel. 01 296 97 98.
The action starts on Thursday, January 18, with an aperitif at 5:30 p.m. at Rohstofflager. The Zurich scene club under the direction of Arnold Meyer is newly installed at Binzmühlestrasse 86 in Oerlikon after the demolition of the property on Heinrichstrasse. Accessible by S-Bahn or streetcar to Oerlikon station, then 5 minutes on foot. Only 200 parking spaces are available directly on the premises.
To compensate for this, some trendy bars, a culinary interesting buffet, a smokers lounge, a lot of emotions around the award ceremony as well as relevant sound for dancing with a trend DJ from 11 p.m. are waiting.
