E.R. Nele (probably around 1970)

This sculpture comes from the estate of the Frankfurt gallery owner Dorothea Loehr, who died in 2006 at the age of 93. In her long life as a gallery owner, Dorothea Loehr always held on to her concept of giving life a form through art. She was interested in a reconciliation between art and design. To this end she organized a rich, multimedia and discourse-oriented gallery program. “I have enough ideas,” she said, “only time is too short.” In 1965, 1976 and 1984 she organized exhibitions, which also showed work by E.(va) R.(eneé) Nele. Whether this small sculpture shown here belonged to these exhibitions will only be determined by pending research.

The fragility of the work is touching. One almost thinks that this massive cast piece could collapse like a house of cards at any moment. In this respect, it fits well into our so fragile times.

Eva Reneé Nele was born in Kassel on 17 March 1933, the daughter of Arnold Bode, the founder of the Kassel-based DOCUMENTA. She began her studies in Berlin – moving to the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London from 1951 to 1955. Works in metal, iron and steel, shape her oeuvre. Stays in London, Paris, Munich and Zurich followed.

Since 1965 E.R. Nele has been living and working as a freelance artist in Frankfurt am Main. In Salzburg, Frankfurt and Gießen she also worked as a lecturer. She participated in documenta II (1959) and documenta III in Kassel in 1964. Her works include monumental steel sculptures as well as filigree brooches and jewellery.

– > About Dorothea Loehr
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