Markus Prachensky (1932 - 2011)

Markus Prachensky

Markus Prachensky is an Austrian artist, one of the leading figures of the Austrian avant-garde and a representative of the Informel and Tachisme styles.

Originally influenced by Piet Mondrian, Prachensky developed his typical visual language in 1956. In the same year, together with Wolfgang Hollega, Josef Mikl and Arnulf Rainer, he founded the artist group St. Stephan (Gruppe St. Stephan).

Prachensky lived and worked alternately in Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Los Angeles. He returned to Europe in 1970 and was director of the painting master class at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1983 to 2000.

Keeping with formal expression, for many years the artist used only a fierce, irresistible red. Later he included green, purple, black and brown, and yellow in his painting palette. The main elements of many of his paintings are vertical stripes with layers of color superimposed on them.