Rudolf Mumprecht
Born in 1918.
Died in 2019.
Rudolf Mumprecht (1918–2019) invites us to look at words as much as to read them. In his works, a letter retains its meaning while becoming a line, a rhythm or a presence in space. Writing thus opens up a meeting ground between poetry, drawing and painting, where humour often accompanies reflection.
Born in Basel and raised in Bern, Mumprecht trained as a cartographer before developing his artistic practice as a self-taught artist. His figurative beginnings gradually gave way to gestural abstraction, and then to a language close to calligraphy. His stays in France, particularly in Paris and Versailles, mark stages in this enquiry, which he subsequently continued in Köniz.
The works Rendre prendre comprendre and sichtbar sichtwahr, both from 1979 and in the collection of Mobilière, show how language can become plastic matter. Sound associations, repetitions and the movement between languages displace the act of reading. The word no longer merely names an object: it participates in the construction of the image.
The twelve Natures mortes of 1983 likewise testify to the persistence of a light and inventive line.
Printmaking constitutes another important aspect of his career. The City of Locarno holds a substantial donation of his graphic work, presented notably at Casa Rusca in 1998. It also paid tribute to him at Casorella in 2008, on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, by exhibiting a selection of copper engravings from this collection.
To approach Mumprecht, one might begin by following the movement of an inscription before seeking its meaning. Where does the eye come to rest? How does a gap or a repetition alter the sentence?
This attention to detail makes it possible to discover images that unfold in the time of reading.
