Meret Oppenheim

Meret Oppenheim is a woman Swiss surrealist painter, born on October 6th, 1913 with Berlin, deceased on November 15th, 1985 with Basle.

Biography

Meret Oppenheim is born from a German father of a Swiss mother. She leaves the school at seventeen years to learn painting. In 1932, it goes to Paris where it attends the Academy of the Large-Thatched cottage irregularly. In 1933, Alberto Giacometti and Jean Arp invite it to expose to the “Living room of the surindépendants” with the surrealist ones. It becomes acquainted with André Breton and binds friendship with max Ernst and Man Ray. This last photography on several occasions. In 1936, Meret carries out for the surrealist exposure famous sound object, the Lunch in fur , a cup and its saucer covered with fur. Alfred Barr, director of the Museum off Modern Art of New York buys in the current of the year this part which became one of the emblems of surrealism. In 1937, Meret turns over to Basle where it passed part of its childhood.

After its marriage with Wolfgang the Rock, it settles with Bern. In 1954, it goes back to work after eighteen years of artistic inactivity. Two years later, it draws the costumes and the masks for the part of Picasso, the Desire caught by the tail , put in scene by Daniel Spoerri. In 1959, it organizes in Bern it from now on famous Fête of spring, presented on the body of a nude woman.

In 1984 Meret collaborates in the review of art Trou n°4 with its work of study on the fountain of Waisenhausplatz in Bern; for the edition of head of this number of Hole (100 specimens, exhausted), it created the famous print representing its own hand. In the same volume of Trou one finds creations of Rolf Iseli, max Kohler, Beat Brechbühl and Daniel Schmid. (www.trou.ch)

She dies in 1985 in Basle, whereas a controversy is caused by the fountain which the town of Bern from Meret Oppenheim and which do not like all its inhabitants ordered.

Distinctions

Price of the art of the town of Basle, 1975.
Grand Prix of the art of town of Bern, 1982.

Meret-Oppenheim price

The Meret-Oppenheim price is decreed each year by the Swiss federal Office of the culture. It is about the one of the rare distinctions expressly intended for less young artists. The minimal age of the prizes winner is 40 years. The givers want to counter the tendency according to which the older artists find a financial support with difficulty.

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