Günter Brus Ohne Titel [Untitled] 1965 © Estate of Günter Brus

Biography

Born 1938
Died 2024
Nationality Austrian
Birth place Ardingly

Born in Ardning, Austria, Brus was part of the Viennese Actionist Group (Wiener Aktionsgruppe), which was formed in 1964. Their art developed from - but was also a critique of - the Action Painting of Jackson Pollock and other American artists. Brus and the Viennese Action Artists wanted to present the actions inherent in Action Painting as directly as possible, and not as traces of paint on canvas. Brus went on to make deliberately provocative performances, pushing his body to extremes. Through his focus on the body during his performances, Brus is regarded as one of the founders of Body art.

Glossary terms

Glossary terms

Body Art

Art practices from the 1960s onwards in which the human body forms the substance of the work. It is often manifest in performances which are documented by film or photography.