Naturphanomene (Natural Phenomena)

Friedrich Meckseper

Technical precision and vivid imagination are the keys to the world of Friedrich Meckseper, a German artist and engineer whose creations involved the building of fantastic transportation devices as well as keenly wrought prints. In “Naturphanomene,” he renders a dreamscape in which time and space are ruptured ever so slightly. Day and night are folded together, and a clock etched in stone splits down the center but retains its ever-ticking hands. Meckseper’s clean technical ability and his use of a subtle, gradient palette create an intriguing, balanced composition, even as it hints at the very thing that defies it: asymmetry.

"Naturphanomene" was done by Meckseper in an edition of 75 plus 10 proofs in 1966. It was printed in four colors, using 2 plates by Willy Steinert in Weingarten, Germany and published by Editions Rothe in Heidelberg, Germany. It is from a series he titled "Natural Phenomena."

The minimalistic arrangement of objects in his works is supported by his technical precision, and the detailed gears and springs one finds in his works provide insight into his broader interest in technology and the physical sciences. For examples, in 1972, he designed and built a steamboat and he crossed the Alps many times in a hot air balloon in the late 70s and early 80s.

Find a link to the Meckspeper archive in our biography of the artist, above.