Ralf Bergner
Born in 1953, painter, graphic artist and illustrator
The director of the graphic collection Albertina Vienna, Walter Koschatzky, called Ralf Bergner, who now lives in Berlin, "a draughtsman of the highest calibre". He studied painting and graphic art under Frank Ruddigkeit and Willi Sitte in Halle, Saale, Germany. During early study visits to the Austrian capital, Bergner was introduced to artists such as Paul Flora and Alfred Hrdlicka, who praised his skills and valued him as a collector.
Bergner's work revolves around people. His empathetic studies began as comical, cheerful and whimsical and eventually became satirical. His newly invented proportions accentuate his view of things, and the props drape them.
In addition to a rugged clarity, it is the many delicately nuanced details that captivate. The many collections featuring his coloured drawings, etchings and the series he produced for famous German magazines "Magazin" and "Die Zeit" testify to his special talent. Connoisseurs rank his works in the same league as the graphic work of Busch, Zille and Grosz.
