The Life and Training of Franz Graf

Franz Graf was born on July 22, 1954, in Tulln an der Donau, Austria. His early years in this region preceded a formal education at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. It was there that he studied under Oswald Oberhuber, a period that helped shape his approach to visual language. Following his studies, he spent several years working closely with Brigitte Kowanz, a collaboration that lasted from 1979 until 1984.

His presence in the academic sphere became more established later in his career. From 1997 to 2006, Franz Graf held a guest professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. This decade of teaching allowed him to engage with the institutional structures of the city's art scene while maintaining his own practice. He remains a member of the Vereinigung Bildender KünstlerInnen der Wiener Secession.

Artistic Techniques and Diverse Mediums

The work of Franz Graf moves between the tactile and the recorded. He works with drawing and photography, often bringing these elements together in installations. His practice extends into the auditory, incorporating audio works that exist alongside his visual output. He uses canvases and various forms of print media, including screen prints, to build his compositions.

There is a specific focus on how materials hold an image. In 1999, he produced a 20-part series of screen prints on rigid plastic foil. This choice of substrate changes how the light interacts with the work compared to traditional paper. His output includes several types of physical media:

• Screen prints
• Audio works
• Photographs
• Drawings
• Canvases

His approach involves a layering of different disciplines. He does not limit himself to a single method, instead using prints and photographs to expand the reach of his drawings. This combination of techniques allows his practice to occupy different spaces, from the quiet detail of a single print to the physical presence of an installation.

Major Awards and Recognition

The recognition of his practice has come in stages, marked by specific honors from Austrian institutions. In 1990, he was awarded the Preis der Stadt Wien für Bildende Kunst. This was followed by the Niederösterreichischer Kulturpreis in 2000. Later, in 2010, he received the Österreichischer Kunstpreis für Bildende Kunst.

His place within the institutional landscape of Vienna is further defined by his membership in the Vereinigung Bildender KünstlerInnen der Wiener Secession. This affiliation places his work within a specific lineage of Austrian artistic production.

Notable Works and Installations

In 2012, a permanent presence was established within the Passage at the Vienna Main Station. This installation, titled "SUED," occupies the space through four murals. These works are executed as digital prints on glass, integrating the transparency of the material with the transit environment of the S-Bahn and U1 stations.

The artist's output includes several pieces that appeared around 2010. These include In Essence and SLE (sleep). His practice often moves between the private scale of a drawing and the public scale of an installation, shifting how a viewer encounters a surface.

Other Significant Works in Catalog

The catalog contains several pieces from around 2013 that reflect a specific period in the artist's output. These works include SCREAM WHEN YOU CAN and IN FEATHER. There is also the piece titled HHELLL and the work MKCC. These titles appear alongside In Essence and SLE (sleep), which date from 2010.

Looking at the collection, one finds Tu Cuerpo Es Lahuella De Tuo Cuerpo, a series of twenty screen prints on rigid plastic foil from 1999. Each part of that series measures 50 by 65 cm. Other works from the artist's history include Luzid and the 30 cards titled "may the dead help the sick" from 1954.