George Classen, actually Heinz Georg Classen (* 1942 in Lübben), grew up in Berlin from the age of four weeks, is a German modern art painter.
At the age of seven he was already copying engravings by the old masters of Nuremberg. Soon afterwards, George Classen was inspired by the works of Pablo Picasso and Gustav Klimt, but without copying them. At the age of 13, he discovered classical music as his second passion, which always motivated him. This was followed by graphic training at the “Famous Artist School” in Frankfurt am Main from 1969 to 1971 and a few years as a graphic designer in advertising. George Classen has been exclusively a freelance artist since 1979 and has since had numerous exhibitions in Canada, the USA, Spain, Germany, Austria and Japan. George Classen is married to Eva, who provides him with inspiring constructive criticism.
About his art
“George Classen’s works show traits of abstract, cubist and occasionally surrealist art (e.g. Robert Delaunay, Pablo Picasso) with some Art Nouveau-like ornaments.” from the report “George Classen” by Petra Breidenstein, 2011[1]
George Classen is of the opinion that every person perceives and interprets their environment differently. He sees the task of an artist in presenting his personal feelings to the viewer – but without forcing his way of looking at them. The viewer should interpret the artist’s work themselves and enable a “transformation of the invisible” – i.e. make the invisible visible.
George Classen understands the following under his recurring theme “Physionomic Landscapes”: He draws lines from the coordinate system of the (usually) human face, which he supplements with elements such as color and other lines. This creates a connection between autonomous abstractness and the actually real and visual. The intended ambiguity is intended to give the viewer the opportunity to stimulate their own imagination.
George Classen uses the title “Chance and Necessity” of a book by the natural scientist and Nobel Prize winner Jacques Monod as the motto for the creation of his works. “Chance is the distribution of impulse-controlled lines and colors, the necessity is the coordination of the elements into a coherent whole.
Exhibitions
Germany
Berlin: Philipp Morris Foundation, Galeries Lafayette, Galerie im Steinberger, Galerie Uwe Cerny, Zehlendorf Town Hall, Frankfurt: Galerie Graf Lischinsky, Hamburg: Galerie Altana, Hanover: Europa Galerie, Cologne: Commerzbank, Paderborn: Kunsthaus Paderborn, Remagen: Kunstverlag Günter Marschner , Stadthagen: cultural association
Canada
Toronto: Gallery Stanley Neville, Galleries Heritage International Yorkville, Royal Bank Plaza, First Canadian Place Exhibitions, Galeries Village by the Grange, Art Salon Peggy Delaney
USA
New York: Mussavi Arts Center on Broadway, Trump Tower, Miami: Gaylor Dempfster Art Agency, San Francisco: Redwood Gallery,
Spain
Mallorca: Casa De Arte Vivencia, Arta
Austria
Wels: AA Gallery, Galeriehaus
Japan
Tokyo: Private exhibition Tokyo, BICE Tokyo
United Arab Emirates
Dubai: Burj Al Arab, World Luxury Expo Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace