Rupprecht Geiger was an important figure in German post-war abstract art. Originally trained as an architect, he developed a visual language of clear geometric forms in which colour increasingly took centre stage. After the Second World War he co-founded the artists’ group ZEN 49. Red, pink and orange in particular became characteristic of his work.
Printmaking occupies an important place in his oeuvre. From 1952 onwards, Geiger worked intensively with screenprinting, a technique that allowed him to achieve subtle colour gradations and powerful, sometimes fluorescent colours. The simplicity of his forms directs all attention towards the effect and intensity of colour.
Geiger participated in documenta four times and represented Germany at the São Paulo Biennial. Major exhibitions of his work were held at institutions including the Lenbachhaus in Munich, the Russian Museum in St Petersburg and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. From 1965 to 1976 he was also a professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.
