Georg Karl Pfahler (German, 1926–2002) was an abstract artist and leading member of the Hard-edge group of painters. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Pfahler studied at the art academies of Nuremberg and Stuttgart, working largely in ceramics before turning his focus to painting. Early in his artistic career, Pfahler began exploring the spatial effects of color and experimenting with techniques such as ink drawing and collage, drawing inspiration from various artistic movements, including Action Painting and Art informel.
Throughout the 1950s, Pfahler's forms become increasingly simplified, and, in the early 1960s, he moved from painting block-like shapes to creating sharply defined areas of color. With these works, he established himself as an important representative of Hard-edge painting in Germany, also producing a number of sculptures in a similar style.
Pfahler went on to receive international acclaim, with exhibitions in Basel, Amsterdam, and New York. In addition, he represented Germany in the Venice Biennale in 1970, and the Sao Paulo Biennale in 1981. He also held numerous teaching positions, working as guest lecturer at Helwan University in Cairo, before accepting a position at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Nuremberg.
Georg Karl Pfahler died in January 2002 at the age of 75, in Emetzheim, Frankonia.
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catalogue on artnet Monographs to learn more about the artist.
