Lothar Wolleh

Lothar Wolleh was a German photographer based in Düsseldorf. From 1959 to 1963, he studied under Professor Otto Steinert at the Folkwang School of Design in Essen. Wolleh has specialised in artist portraits since the early 1960s. In the years 1962–1979, more than 150 artists were portrayed, including representatives of the post-war European avant-garde such as Günther Uecker, Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Lucio Fontana and the French Nouveaux Réalistes.

Wolleh also initiated and published large-format editions and artists’ books, produced in close cooperation with the artists. Among them is Art Scene Düsseldorf (1971), an elaborate edition of artist portraits with the addition of graphic prints and multiples made by these artists. Of special significance is the Unterwasserbuch project (1971) in cooperation with Joseph Beuys, the publication of an artist’s book based on Wolleh’s photographs. Several joint projects were also undertaken with Günther Uecker, in the form of the artist’s book Das Nagelbuch (1971), the photographic recording of performances like Schwarzraum Weissraum (1972) and a film recording of this performance (also 1972) as a solo project by Lothar Wolleh.

Oliver Wolleh

In the exhibition:

Lothar Wolleh
Artist portraits of
Ulrich Erben, Enrico Castellani, Lucio Fontana, Gotthard Graubner, Roman Opałka, Otto Piene, Jan Schoonhoven, Mark Tobey, Günther Uecker, Lothar Wolleh
Courtesy of the Lothar Wolleh Raum

Günther Uecker / Lothar Wolleh
Schwarzraum – Weißraum, 1975
Documentation of the performance, digitized video
Günther Uecker / Lothar Wolleh Raum

Additional information about the artist