Pit Wagner
Born in Luxembourg in 1954, Pit Wagner developed a keen interest in the visual arts from an early age. Between 1976 and 1979, he studied graphics and illustration at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. From 1980 onwards, he established himself as a freelance artist, devoting himself primarily to illustration, graphic design, painting and printmaking.
He held exhibitions, travelled extensively and taught nude drawing at the Académie d'été in Luxembourg.
He also developed a passion for metalwork, particularly through his experience of forging, which he applied to sculpture. In 2006, he graduated with a Master's degree in lithography from the CIEC (Centro Internacional de la Estampa Contemporánea) in Betanzos, Spain.
- Recent solo exhibitions (selection) :
- 2020 "Land of A Million Elephants" T'Shop Laï Gallery, Vientiane, Laos
- 2019 "The right line - 10 Joer Zeechnen um Geriicht" Diekirch District Court
- 2018 "Die wahre Wirklichkeit und andere Geschichten" CAPE, Ettelbruck
- 2017 "Au son de la lune" Personal exhibition of engravings Galerie Municipale Diekirch
- 2017 6thGunalan International Print Biennial China
- 2016 "Tout Nu" Aalt Stadhaus Differdange
- 2015 "Engravings" Dongsi Wutiao Beijing, with Asun Parrilla
- 2012 "Reframed" Gallerie Schalssgoert Esch-sur-Alzette
- 2007 "Navigation à vue" Maison du Luxembourg, Brussels
- Artistic interventions (selection) :
- 2010 "Mundo Liebre" Installation-environment around a plush blue hare, Salon CAL
- 2010 Illustrations and murals at the Musée d'Histoire(s) Diekirch
- 2002 "Viet Nam" Drawings made during a trip to Vietnam. Travelling exhibition
- 2002 Illustrations and murals at the Victor Hugo Museum in Vianden (L)
- 1998 Installations in the Luxembourg Pavilion at the World Fair
- 1998 in Lisbon
- from 2005, Creation of 16 postage stamps
- Graphic arts, engraving :
- since 1995 intaglio engraving
- Member of the EMPREINTE printmaking collective since 2004
- Numerous group exhibitions in France, Belgium, China, etc.
- Salon CAL 1999, 2009, 2016
- The Nude: 1977-2016 The pure expression of the human body. Drawings, paintings, serigraphs.
- The Orchestra: 1983-2008 The human music machine. Drawing during OPL rehearsals. Drawings, paintings, engravings, postage stamp.
- Courtroom drawing: 2008-2016 Live drawing in court. Justice, codes, the law, man facing justice. Humanity in all its states.
- 56 drawings in the collection of the Musée de la Ville de Luxembourg. 3 drawings at the Salon CAL 2014 Press: Tageblatt, Revue, Land, ARD
- Publications: 2014 "De Bommeleeërprozess, eng Staatsaffär", 128 pages 2015 "De Bommeleeërprozess, et geet ganz héich", 128 pages The longest trial in Luxembourg's history told through courtroom drawings.
- Sculpture: 1990-2010 Wood, steel, marble. Matter and meditation, the rhythm of the hammer, breathing. Back to physical work, alternating with drawing and painting.
- Salon CAL 1992, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019.
Pit Wagner incorporates all the means of expression at his disposal into his palette: photography, writing and comic strips are all examples of tools he uses to compose an image or formulate an idea. His interest in Far Eastern cultures and philosophies has led him to seek freedom of gesture in all its forms. This search remains associated with precision and the elimination of the superfluous. In 2002, an artistic project commissioned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its cooperation programme in Vietnam enabled him to travel and immerse himself in this culture, which confirmed and deepened his approach.
Pit Wagner likes to experiment with different forms of expression. Intaglio engraving, like "a means of expression with infinite possibilitiesHe used this medium for his research. Engraving, which is conducive to experimentation, allows him to make discoveries. Printmaking gives him the opportunity to create multiples that retain their original character. As a draughtsman, he develops a strong affinity for Indian ink, but bamboo feathers, goose quills and brushes are also his favourite materials for drawing on the spot, the direct and definitive snapshot. According to the artist "Anything that leaves a mark is worth using as a tool".
In sculpture, Pit Wagner creates assemblages in steel and wood, then in marble (2008-2011).
- People : "Women and men express their existence in the purest and most honest way when they are undressed. The drawing of a nude model is therefore of great importance to the artist."
- The representation of animals : "Domestic animals are an expression of human beings and their culture. I like to draw, paint and interpret them for pleasure and for their symbolic potential.
- The music : "Drawing during the rehearsals of an orchestra, a group of musicians or a soloist. For the pleasure of listening and the challenge of expressing music in images. Melody, rhythm and atmosphere influence the result. The philharmonic orchestra is a human music machine, made up of virtuoso individuals. A sociological ensemble. An abstract image. To change the perspective, I often drew in the middle of the OPL, with the conductor's permission. Diving into the musical universe. "In situ', the situation I prefer, live."
- Audience drawings : "To study the human condition, there's nothing like the world of justice. Observing several trials brought me face to face with humanity in all its states. Drawing on the spot in court, documenting places and people, capturing the essence of a gesture, an expression, a look, where cameras and photos are forbidden. As an artist, I have documented the longest trials in Luxembourg's history. In addition to physical expression, words and rhetoric at all levels have led me to a sociological and political analysis that I add to the basket of interests and curiosities that drive my approach. Still 'in situ'.
- Comic strips : "Storyboarding has always been part of my visual heritage, from Hergé to Pratt and everyone in between. From Hergé to Pratt and everyone in between, storyboarding is part of my visual heritage. The unfolding of time is a question that makes the difference between music and the visual arts. The sequence of images in a picture is an attempt to move away from the instantaneous and to fix an unfolding, a sequence that is longer than the snapshot.
Artworks catalogue
