September 16 –  December 5, 2010
MKM Museum Küppersmühle for Modern Art

Having earned the reputation of a rebellious maverick, Walter Stöhrer (1937-2000) was a chief exponent of gestural, figurative painting, and wielded an enduring influence on Germany’s domestic art scene. In the year of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, which also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the artist’s death, the MKM is now hon-ouring the artist with the first comprehensive retrospective to be staged in the Ruhr re-gion. Beginning with his early works from the 1960s, the exhibition showcases Stöhrer’s key creative phases, down to the last painting, across an area measuring some 1000 sq.m.

On view in the MKM are some 70 paintings, over-paintings on paper, sketches and ink drawings. The oldest canvas dates back to 1960/62, the most recent is from 1999 – which proved to be the last picture he completed before his death. Visitors are invited to embark on a tour through four decades of unceasing artistic activity, with the loose chronology affording space for exciting combinations of works. The paintings are augmented by a documentation of Stöhrer’s sketches, correspondence and artist’s booklets, which grant a fascinating insight into his creative modus operandi.