TheNew Leipzig School (German:Neue Leipziger Schule) is a movement in German painting, centred in the city ofLeipzig after theGerman reunification. The usage and origins of this term are debated.[1]
TheAlte Leipziger Schule (Old Leipzig School) is a term for the original Leipziger Schule (Leipzig School), established no later than 1977, after the involvement ofWerner Tübke,Wolfgang Mattheuer andBernhard Heisig[2][3] withdocumenta 6. The students of those artists, including Sighard Gille andArno Rink, are considered to be the second generation of the Leipziger Schule (Leipzig School).
The Neue Leipziger Schule (New Leipzig School), is the third generation of the movement, and relates to the post-reunification climate of modern Germany.[4] It is still closely linked with theHochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig. It usually refers to the students of Gille and Rink,[5] but occasionally those of Rolf Kuhrt or even Heisig or Tübke. Its works tend to be characterised by a combination of figurative and abstract elements.
The list of painters that are classified in this school includesNeo Rauch,[2][3][5][6]Christoph Ruckhäberle[2][3][5] andMatthias Weischer.[2][3][5] Others who have been associated with the term includeTim Eitel,Tilo Baumgärtel,Christian Brandl,David Schnell,Aris Kalaizis,Martin Kobe,Michael Triegel,Ulf Puder,Rosa Loy andAxel Krause.
A significant role in the commercial success of the "New Leipzig School" was played by the gallery owner Gerd Harry Lybke,[2][3][5] who introduced the works of Rauch in particular to the globally important American art market. Other Leipzig artists were able to achieve international acclaim in the wake of this, such as the Greek-German painterAris Kalaizis. Parallels can be seen between these successes and those of theYoung British Artists. Also crucial for the Leipzig painters' success was Matthias Kleindienst,[2][7] gallery owner and head of thewoodcutting workshop at theHochschule, whose search for talent paved the way for many young Leipzig artists, including Weischer. Another major factor in their market success was the "LIGA" art project, established inBerlin in 2002 under the direction of Christian Ehrentraut, a former collaborator with Lybke.[2]
Many artists and galleries associated with the Leipziger Schule are based in the west of Leipzig, and at theSpinnerei inPlagwitz.[2][3][5][7]
