Hans Breder _ Intermedia Retrospective
- October 06, 2023 - October 31, 2023
Hans Breder in his studio early 1960's
Because one image can not capture the breadth... four is better
Collage submitted by former student and friend, Darrell Taylor, Emeritus Art Gallery Director, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IACUBES
Two Cubes, circa 1968
Opsis canvas prints, circa 2015 with One Cube in the foreground
Former students and interns
{from left} Doreen Nidey, Executor of Hans Breder's artwork estate; Lori Illner Greene, Executive Director FMAAA and Curator; Angela Sodey, FMAAA Board President
Hans Breder’s remarkable artistic accomplishments ripple on today with his art making its way into public spaces throughout Iowa and many of his former students successfully positioned in art departments carrying on his brave and spirited approach to art at universities across the Midwest and beyond. A successful artist, Breder moved from New York to make Iowa his home in the 1960’s, founding the Intermedia Program in the School of Art & Art History at the University of Iowa in 1968 directing it until his retirement as a F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Professor in 2000. His work brokered new approaches as he bravely broke down the barriers between media to grapple with and articulate ideas. An accomplished studio artist, his work challenged what we think we see using mirrors, sound, shadow, light, performance, video, and ever-evolving technology as he reached beyond the known studio to embrace other media to grapple with ideas. As he blazed a path seeking to explore Intermedia, he laid the foundation for others to follow with their own questions and curiosity into what is now commonly known as Interdisciplinary Arts. Breder’s students and some-times collaborators included among others Ana Mendieta and Charles Ray, forever expanding the limits of what is considered art. Breder exhibited extensively from New York to Moscow, Mexico City to Japan, including MOMA, as the first video artist invited to participate in three Whitney Biennials. The breadth of his career can’t be captured in a few sentences. And thoughts about his life’s work are best left to those who knew him best. The following are images representative of eras of work juxtaposed against their words.
Lori Illner Greene |Executive Director FMAAA
Interdisciplinary Arts, Sierra Nevada University and MFA University Nevada Reno
Hans Breder: Intermedia Retrospective is made possible through an acquisition from the Hans Breder Estate graciously facilitated by his long-time associate, Doreen Nidey, along with the generous support of Kathy and Charles Osmanski who have sponsored this retrospective exhibition at the Fort Madison Area Arts Association.
