Exhibition in Linz

Hubert Schmalix: The birth of the old king

Hubert Schmalix delivered the pictures, some of which are five meters long, rolled up; they were first stretched in Linz.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Hubert Schmalix is one of Austria's most important painters. He loves comics, colors and the grand gesture. At the Linz Castle Museum, he is exhibiting colorful landscapes and monumental paintings on the subject of "aging".

"A bearded old man," smiles Hubert Schmalix (72), talking about his latest cycle of works on display at the Schlossmuseum.

The painter from Graz, who lives in Los Angeles, is one of Austria's most important painters, he emerged from the "Neue Wilde", his style is unmistakable: Schmalix takes techniques from comic drawing, such as thick contours, dramatic gestures and facial expressions, combining these elements with a flat use of color. "My calm execution stands in contrast to the drama, which sometimes has an ironic effect," he says in the "Krone" talk.

Much more than "Tremor " 
Over the last two years, he has created monumental paintings that all revolve around an old man. Everyone can think of their own references, but in any case he titles the richly decorated exhibition "Tremor": "I don't necessarily mean the trembling, but in general: the shaking."

Archetype in the mythology of mankind
The figure of the bearded old man, an archetype, lives through situations that flirt with mythological scenes in every picture: Hermit, wanderer, the old king in eternal sleep and also rebirth.

The second group of works in the exhibition (until January 26) at the Schlossmuseum consists of landscapes, idyllic, deserted places under mountains and by lakes. Worth seeing!