Herbert Zangs

(German, 1924–2003)

Herbert Zangs was a German artist, best known for his handmade monochromatic works which demonstrated his commitment to an improvised, informal artistic process. Born on March 27, 1924 in Krefeld, Germany, he went on to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf in the fall of 1945, just months after the end of World War II, and befriended fellow student Joseph Beuys. The tenuous climate in Germany in the first post-war months would greatly impact Zangs’ aesthetic: his Verweißungen series—collages and paintings entirely covered in ash white paint—resemble objects found in the rubble after the destruction of war. Notable examples from this series include Rechenstück (1978), a cardboard collage covered in tic-tac-toe shapes, and Knüpfung (1958), a repurposed pillow case knotted around rows of buttons. Zangs developed a reputation as an “enfant terrible” in the German art world much like his friend Beuys, and is considered a part of the Art Informel movement in his rejection of geometric abstraction for a more intuitive approach to art-making. He died on March 26, 2003 in Krefeld, Germany.

Herbert Zangs Artworks

Herbert Zangs (1,702 results)
OBJEKT VERWEISSUNG, 1953

Herbert Zangs

OBJEKT VERWEISSUNG, 1953

Sale Date: November 20, 1993

Auction Closed

Sans titre

Herbert Zangs

Sans titre

Sale Date: June 11, 1993

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1975

Herbert Zangs

Ohne Titel, 1975

Sale Date: November 29, 1992

Auction Closed

SCHEIBENWISCHER, 1957

Herbert Zangs

SCHEIBENWISCHER, 1957

Sale Date: October 31, 1992

Auction Closed

Informelle Komposition

Herbert Zangs

Informelle Komposition

Sale Date: October 31, 1992

Auction Closed

Informelle Komposition

Herbert Zangs

Informelle Komposition

Sale Date: October 31, 1992

Auction Closed

Informelle Komposition

Herbert Zangs

Informelle Komposition

Sale Date: June 13, 1992

Auction Closed

GIPSSTRUKTUR, 1957

Herbert Zangs

GIPSSTRUKTUR, 1957

Sale Date: June 13, 1992

Auction Closed

Composition, 1953

Herbert Zangs

Composition, 1953

Sale Date: December 8, 1991

Auction Closed

FALTUNG/VERWEISSUNG, 1953

Herbert Zangs

FALTUNG/VERWEISSUNG, 1953

Sale Date: November 26, 1991

Auction Closed

Sans titre, 1952

Herbert Zangs

Sans titre, 1952

Sale Date: November 20, 1991

Auction Closed

SCHWEIS TUCH

Herbert Zangs

SCHWEIS TUCH

Sale Date: November 20, 1991

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel, 1957

Herbert Zangs

Ohne Titel, 1957

Sale Date: June 14, 1991

Auction Closed

Ohne Titel

Herbert Zangs

Ohne Titel

Sale Date: June 14, 1991

Auction Closed

Komposition

Herbert Zangs

Komposition

Sale Date: June 14, 1991

Auction Closed

FUNDSTUCK, 1952

Herbert Zangs

FUNDSTUCK, 1952

Sale Date: June 14, 1991

Auction Closed

Composition, 1954

Herbert Zangs

Composition, 1954

Sale Date: May 31, 1991

Auction Closed

TAFEL

Herbert Zangs

TAFEL

Sale Date: November 20, 1990

Auction Closed

RELIEFBILD

Herbert Zangs

RELIEFBILD

Sale Date: November 20, 1990

Auction Closed

YELLOW WHEELBACKS

Herbert Zangs

YELLOW WHEELBACKS

Sale Date: June 27, 1990

Auction Closed

SCHWEISSTUCH

Herbert Zangs

SCHWEISSTUCH

Sale Date: May 26, 1990

Auction Closed

STRUKTURELLE TRANSPARENTE-ANTIFARBE..., 1957–1957

Herbert Zangs

STRUKTURELLE TRANSPARENTE-ANTIFARBE..., 1957–1957

Sale Date: May 26, 1990

Auction Closed