fred troller evolution of form
Untitled, 1950s Gouache on paper, 18 5/8 x 27 ½ inches Signed lower right
fred troller evolution of form June 9 – July 20, 2022
Opening Reception Thursday, June 9 6 – 8 pm
Ally Village 200 Spring Park Drive, Suite 105 Midland, Texas 79705 info@bakerschorrfineart.com bakerschorrfineart.com 432.687.1268
Untitled (Ibiza 13), 1968 Graphite and gouache on paper, 25 ½ x 19 5/8 inches Signed lower right
“In each of my paintings there is a statement. I hope the viewer asks himself, ‘What’s going on here?’ The answer is there to be seen. In each painting, or series of paintings, it is the evolution of a form, or many forms, that is the statement. The aesthetics lie in seeing the changes themselves, more than in seeing the overall composition which may result. I believe that in the process of following the evolution of a given visual theme, the viewer becomes involved in the experience of seeing.” Fred Troller
fred troller
Swiss/American, 1930 - 2002 Fred Troller made significant contributions as an artist and graphic designer throughout his rich career. He popularized a minimalist typographic style known as Swiss New Typography in the United States in the 1960s. This style was in contrast to the decorative and ornamental graphic design trends at the time. The Swiss aesthetic was influenced by the Bauhaus school of the 1920s and focused on stark, bold typefaces and primary colors. It was a logical, practical style, which was popular among multinational corporations who wanted uniform graphic identities that were clearly understood by their clients. Troller’s personal interpretation of the style was characterized by manipulated geometric forms, juxtapositions of large and small lettering, and visual puns formed by the fonts themselves. Troller was born in Zurich, Switzerland on December 12, 1930. He graduated from the Zurich School of Design at age 20 and began working for the motion picture producer Louis de Rochemont. He then moved to New York to work as the design director for the Geigy Chemical Corporation. In 1968, he left Geigy and opened his own design studio, Troller Associates, in Rye, New York to continue working on corporate design programs. His clients included Exxon, General Electric, I.B.M., and Westinghouse. In the 1970s, he created a series of travel posters for American Airlines. Troller enjoyed a long career as an educator. He taught and lectured at many major design schools including Cooper Union, the School of Visual Arts, and the Rhode Island School of Design. From 1988 to 2000, Troller was the chairman for the design division at Alfred University in New York. In 1995, Georgia State University held an exhibition titled “Troller Retrospective: 30 Years of Graphic Design.” In addition to his design career, Troller was a talented and prolific painter and sculptor. His works were represented at Grace Borgenicht Gallery in New York. This exhibition features a range of the artist’s works, from his early gouaches and oil paintings of the 1950s to one of his most important works, completed in 2002, a series of mask drawings inspired by the gift of an antique African mask. Fred Troller died of cancer at age 71 at his home in Rye, New York in October 2002. Cover: Untitled, 1995 Acrylic on canvas, 64 x 46 inches Signed and dated on top, on verso Back cover: The Masked Man Without a Mask, 2002
Pastel on paper, 40 x 26 inches Signed and dated recto
Untitled, 1961 Oil and mixed media collage on canvas, 42 x 42 inches Signed verso
Untitled (Hurricane Series), 1970s Acrylic on canvas collage (each) 36 x 36 inches
Top: Untitled (Mask Series) Below: Untitled, 969 (Mask series)
Pastel on paper, 2000, 40 x 26 inches Signed and dated
Untitled (Subway Series) Colored pencil on paper, 1981 22 1/3 x 30 inches, Estate stamped verso