Matthias Laurenz Gräff

Matthias Laurenz Gräff
part of the "Garser Wein", 2014
Born	July 19, 1984 Gars am Kamp, Austria
Nationality	Austrian
Known for	painting, drawing
Notable work	Garser Wein - Freischütz, Eros, Pathos, Agape (2014)
Movement	Expressionism, Expressive Realism, Modern art, Pop art
Awards	Adolf Peschek public Award (2010)

Matthias Laurenz Gräff (born July 19, 1984 in Gars am Kamp) is an Austrian painter.

Life

Matthias Laurenz Gräff's family has an artistic background. His father Helmuth Gräff^[1] is an academic painter and his Martina Maria Gräff (born Gach) works as an art professor at the Viennese Sacre Coeur. Gräff's grandfather was the architect Richard Gach (1930–1991). Gräff has been confronted with arts by very early age. In the studio of his father he had been drawing thousands of artworks and kept on practising until the age of 17 where he began to study at the private New Design University St. Pölten by Barry John Hewson.^[2] In the summertime he was visiting the summer academy of Geras by Prof. Bernhard Hollemann (2001/04)^[3] and Prof. Arthur Redhead (2003/04). Between 2002 and 2008 he studied, together with Stylianos Schicho, art at the University of Applied Arts Vienna of Wolfgang Herzig's masterclass of painting.^[4]

Since 2008 Gräff has been self-employed as an academic painter. The themes of his artworks are on the one hand compositions with spiritual, religious and literal contents, and on the other hand themes of his own life situation and family history as well as still life painting and works in nature.^[5] Not only Austrian magazines,^[6][7][8] and specialist books^[9] but also international^[10] once mentioned the artwork of Gräff. He participated in many charity events and auctions (Lions Club, Red Cross, School Community).

In 2010, during the 64th yearly fair of St. Pöltens Künstlerbund (Art union) Gräff received the "Adolf Peschek Preis" (Adolf Peschek Public Award) in the Museum of the City of St. Pölten.^[11] Gräff was a member of the Austrian Red Cross since 2008 and an officier since 2011.^[12] In 2012 he created the vine etiquette of Red Cross in Lower Austria.^[13] In the following year Gräff organized in his hometown Gars am Kamp the concert of the famous blues, rock and roll and boogie band of Austria, the Mojo Blues Band.^[14] In the same year on the occasion of the celebration of the sister city Gars am Inn in Germany he created the twin city painting.^[15][16]

20 years anniversery of "Interkultureller Verein Makedonien" at the Rathaus, Vienna. The General Consul of Greece - Dimitrios Daskalakis, The President of "Interkultureller Verein Makdedonien" - Charilaos Zikos, His Eminence Arsenios (Kardamakis) - Metropolit of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Middleurope, Georgia Kazantzidu and Matthias Laurenz Gräff (2013)

"100 years Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg in Sarajewo" at Schloss Artstetten. Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Princess Anita Hohenberg (great-granddaughter of Franz Ferdinand of Austria) and Georgia Kazantzidu

Matthias Laurenz Gräff is the chairman of the worldwide Union "Familienverband Gräff-Graeff e. V." (Family Union Graeff) with branches in Austria, The United States of America, Germany, The Netherlands and South Africa, since its foundation in 2013. As a chairman of this foundation he organized in 2014 the first worldwide reunion meeting on the occasion of the "530 years Graeff" at the castle of Kornberg in Styria.^[17]

Together with his girlfriend Georgia Kazantzidu, Gräff is involved in the Austrian-Greek cultural exchange of Vienna/Austria (Greek Orthodox Metroplis of Austria and Exarchate of Hungary and Middle Europe, Embassy of Greece, Interkultureller Verein Makedonien and exhibitions).^[18][19][20]

In 2014 Gräff received from mayor's bureau the contract to create the vine etiquettes "Garser Wein 2014".^[21][22] A local businessman boycott the publishing of the etiquettes and this led to a mass media scandal in Austria^[23][24][25] as well as in Germany^[26][27] The reason of the boycott was the illustration of a half naked woman. The public disliked the idea of censuring the Arts.^[28]

In 2015 Matthias Laurenz Gräff formed the initiative "Österreichische Künstler gegen Rassismus und Faschismus" (Austrian artists against racism and fascism).^[29]

Gräff's artwork from an art historian point of view

Dr. Elisabeth Voggeneder, Austrian curator and art historian wrote about the artist:

• In Matthias Laurenz Gräff's paintings one finds the expression of Baroque elements. With the early age of 29 he has a huge extensive and varied Oeuvre. In observing his works one thinks of his paragons as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne and Claude Monet. In his still life paintings one can realize that he even rises above Cezanne in his target and design vocabulary. Gräff interprets this traditional theme in an new way and carries it in a new era.^[30]

The exhibition leader (Steirerschlössl Zeltweg) and art curator of the Red Bull "project spielberg" Misses Sabrina Redhead stated about the artist:

• In Gräff's artworks you can obviously realize the influence of the Austrian art history especially the classical modern Art. His style is distinctive and significant. He achieves combination of traditional and modern in such a way that has not been seen before. He very often uses "pure" colours; this reminds us of Henri Matisse. He tends to be enormously dynamic, he generates moods and every view of his works allows new points of view and experiences. Although the variety of his perspective underlies Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, his works are unique and peerless.^[31]

Selected works

Garser Wein, Eros

Garser Wein, Pathos

Garser Wein, Agape

• Achilleion auf Korfu (2014); part of a huge serie about Greece, in the collection of the Embassy of Greece in Vienna
• Garser Wein - Freischütz, Eros, Pathos, Agape (2014); the three censored paintings of the vine etiquettes
• Schloss Kornberg (2013), collection of the Austrian Counts of Bardeau at their castle Kornberg
• Partnerschaftsgemälde (2013); twin city painting Gars am Kamp and Gars am Inn
• Kinderburg Rappottenstein (2012); vine etiquette of the Red Cross of Lower Austria
• Großes Stillleben mit Elephant und Muschel (2008); won the Adolf Peschek public award at the Museum of the City of St. Pölten
• Weltinnenschau-Weltaussenschau (2007/2008); seven paintings for the diplom at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna
• Coat of arms Baron Eberl (2006), collection of the Austrian Barons Eberl
• Allegorie der Malerei (2005); Advent at the City Hall of Vienna; this painting has been showing at the Austrian broadcaster ORF
• Porträt von Isolde und Ernst Hiesmayr (2004), drawings of the Austrian architect and his wife

Exhibitions

Charity event in support of the Red Cross. Mag. Bernhard Lackner, Brigadier General Mag. Rudolf Striedinger - military Commander of Lower Austria, Probst Maximilian Fürnsinn- Grandprior of the austrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Georgia Kazantzidu and Matthias Laurenz Gräff (2013)

Exhibition at Erstes österreichisches Museum für Alltagsgeschichte, Neupölla (2012). Mayor Johann Müllner, District commissioner Michael Wiedermann, Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Univ-Doz. Friedrich Polleross, Günter Stummvoll - member of the National Council of Austria and Vize mayor Günther Kröpfl

Presentation of the vine etiquette and the painting of the austrian Red Cross. Red Cross secretary of Lower Austria Peter Kaiser, Matthias Laurenz Gräff, Vize Landeshauptmann of Lower Austria Wolfgang Sobotka, Anna Höllerer, member of the National Council of Austria, Red Cross president of Lower Austria Willi Sauer and Leopold Rötzer, Vice president Red Cross of Lower Austria (2012)

2015

• "Liebreizendes Griechenland", KunstSalon, Vienna/AT^[32][33][34]
• "Matthias Laurenz Gräff und Helmuth Gräff", Galerie Daliko, Krems an der Donau/AT^[35][36]

2014

• Steirerschlössl Zeltweg, Red Bull Project Spielberg/AT^[37][38][39]

2013

• St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the city of St. Pölten/AT
• Galerie Austria, Vienna/AT
• Cityhall Korneuburg/AT

2012

• St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the City of St. Pölten/AT
• Erstes österreichisches Museum für Alltagsgeschichte, Neupölla/AT^[40]
• Red Cross Netheraustria, Tulln an der Donau/AT - opened by Dr. Werner Kerschbaum, general secretary of the Austrian Red Cross

2011

• St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the City of St. Pölten/AT
• Gaming Charterhouse/AT^[41]
• Caritas Haus St. Barbara, Vienna/AT

2010

• Siemens AG Headquarter, Linz/AT^[42]
• St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the City of St. Pölten/AT

2009

• Galerie Austria/AT^[43]

2008

• Advent im Wiener Rathaus and ORF (Austrian broadcaster), Vienna/AT
• Diplom exhibition University of Applied Arts, Vienna/AT

2006

• Kunsthalle Wien-Karlsplatz project space, Vienna/AT^[44]

Collections

Celebration of the twin city Gars am Kamp and Gars am Inn. Matthias Laurenz Gräff (center) with the mayors of both towns in front of the twin city painting

At the residence of the Greek Ambassadress in Vienna. Her Excellence, The Greek Ambassadress in Vienna, Misses Chrisulla Aliferi, Matthias Laurenz Gräff and Georgia Kazantzidu (2014)

2015

• private collection at Sun Valley/US

2014

• Embassy of Greece in Vienna/AT/GRE

2013

• Niederösterreichische Versicherungs AG, St. Pölten/AT
• Kornberg castle, collection of the Counts of Bardeau/AT
• Community of Gars am Inn/GER
• Interkultultureller Verein Makedonien, Vienna/AT^[45]

2012

• Community of Neupölla/AT
• Red Cross of Netheraustria, Tulln an der Donau/AT
• Austrian Red Cross, Vienna/AT

2010

• Rest stop Rosenberger, AT

2008

• Mondi paper AG, AT

2004

• Art Collection University of Applied Arts, Vienna/AT

2003

• Geras Abbey, Geras/AT

Awards

Adolf Peschek Award. The artist with Mag. Thomas Pulle (director of the Museum of the City of St. Pölten (left) and MMag. Ernest Kienzl (chairman of the Art Union of St. Pölten (2010)

Family Reunion "530 years Graeff" at Kornberg castle (2014)

Presenation of the new studio album "Walk the Bridge". Matthias Laurenz Gräff (left) and Georgia Kazantzidu (center) on stage with the Mojo Blues Band and Al Cook (2013)

2010

• "Adolf Peschek public award", 64th annual exhibition of the St. Pöltner Künstlerbund, Museum of the City of St. Pölten/AT

2008

• "Diplom mit gutem Erfolg", University of Applied Arts, Vienna/AT

Events

2014

• Worldwide Family Reunion "530 Jahre Graeff" at castle Kornberg

2013

• Concert of the Mojo Blues Band in Gars am Kamp

Literature

2014

• Mag. Sabrina Redhead, Ausstellungskatalog Kunst im Murtal" 2014, "Kunst - Tradition und Aufbruch" 2014, Ausstellung im Steirerschlössl Zeltweg, Red Bull Projekt Spielberg

2012

• Univ-Doz Dr. Friedrich Polleross: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla. In: Das Waldviertel, herausgegeben vom Waldviertler Heimatbund, p. 211/213 (German)^[46]

2008

• Helmuth Gräff, "Zwischen den Welten", Verlag Bibliothek der Provinz, p. 134/135
• Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Diplome Sommersemester 2007/08
• "Parasite | Paradise", Interventionen zeitgenössischer Kunst auf Burg Forchtenstein, p. 78/79

2006

• Vision magacine of China
• Matthias Laurenz Gräff. Allegorie-Stillleben-Landschaft. 2006

2004

• STERZ, Zeitschrift für Literatur, Kunst und Kulturpolitik
• Ausstellungskatalog Meisterklasse Herzig, "Die Figur als Aufgabe", Stadtgalerie Vienna

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matthias Laurenz Gräff.

• Matthias Laurenz Gräff Official Website (german, englisch and greek version)
• Entry in recognized artist database Basis Wien (german)
• Matthias Laurenz Gräff at "Kulturvernetzung Niederösterreich" (of the land of Nether Austria) (german)
• Press articles about Matthias Laurenz Gräff (german) at Niederösterreichische Nachrichten
• TV Waldviertel. Exhibition video "Kontraste" in der Garser Galerie (german)
• ATV Aichfeld. "Tradition & Aufbruch". Exhibition at Steirerschlöss Zeltweg, Projekt Spielberg (german)

References

1. ↑ Kurzbiografie auf Waldviertelnews.at, 24 Stunden aus der Region, Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum Neupölla (german)
2. ↑ www.poella.at Sonderausstellung 2012: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff (PDF in german)
3. ↑ Univ-Doz Dr. Friedrich Polleross: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla. In: Das Waldviertel, herausgegeben vom Waldviertler Heimatbund, p. 212
4. ↑ Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Bildarchiv zu Studienschlussarbeiten (german)
5. ↑ The land of Lower Austria - Das Land Niederösterreich. Pressedienst. Niederösterreichische Landeskorrespondenz. Ausstellungen, Museen, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum (german)
6. ↑ Deutsche Fotothek
7. ↑ Vernissage ArtGuide
8. ↑ Vernissage ArtGuide
9. ↑ Universität Wien. Univ-Doz. Dr. Friedrich Polleroß: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla
10. ↑ Chinese "Vision" magazine, March 2006, Vision world
11. ↑ St. Pöltner Künstlerbund (german)
12. ↑ Red Cross district Horn, Lower Austria (German)
13. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, Etikette hilft Kinderburg (german)
14. ↑ Website community of Gars am Kamp (german)
15. ↑ Newspaper article: OVB 0nline > Rosenheim > Wasserburg am Inn > "Wilde Ehe" nach 50 Jahren legalisiert (Bayern, Deutschland) (german)
16. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, Es lebe unsere Freundschaft! (german)
17. ↑ Webpräsenz Familienverband Graeff-Gräff, Historie-Gegenwart-Zukunft e. V. (german)
18. ↑ ΔΙΑΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΤΙΚΟΣ ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΣ "ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑ". 20 Επέτειος γενεθλίων του συλλόγου (15th photo) (greek)
19. ↑ Interkultureller Verein Makedonien. Book presentaion of austrian boradcaster (ORF) journalist and editor Christian Rathner (4th photo) (german)
20. ↑ Newspaper article: http://www.naousanews.gr/; "Η Ελλάδα μέσα από τα μάτια του GRÄFF" (greek)
21. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, "Garser" muss weg! (german)
22. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, Allen Menschen recht getan ... Column of Rupert Kornell (german)
23. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, "Streit um nackte Muse auf Weinetikett" (german)
24. ↑ "Weinetiketten zu sexy". Newspaper: Bezirksblätter (in German). 
25. ↑ Austrian daily Newspaper: "Heute", "Etiketten von Weinflaschen verbannt" (german)
26. ↑ Ad Hoc News, Berlin: "Weinetiketten zu sexy" (german)
27. ↑ News Deutschland>Österreich: "Weinetiketten zu sexy" (german)
28. ↑ Press archive about "Garser Wein 2014" (german)
29. ↑ Webpage "Österreichische Künstler gegen Rassismus und Faschismus"
30. ↑ www.gars.at > Über Gars > Portraits > Matthias Laurenz Gräff (german)
31. ↑ Mag. Sabrina Redhead, Ausstellungskatalog Kunst im Murtal" 2014, "Kunst - Tradition und Aufbruch" 2014, Ausstellung im Steirerschlössl Zeltweg, Red Bull Projekt Spielberg
32. ↑ Newspaper article: http://www.naousanews.gr/; "Η Ελλάδα μέσα από τα μάτια του GRÄFF" (greek)
33. ↑ article: https://hephaestuswien.wordpress.com/; "ΟΤΑΝ Η ΒΙΕΝΝΗ ΣΥΝΑΝΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΘΗΝΑ" (greek)
34. ↑ Dr. Heinz Gstrein at https://hephaestuswien.wordpress.com; „Liebreizendes Griechenland“ in Wien (german)
35. ↑ Galerie Daliko. "Matthias Laurenz Gräff und Helmuth Gräff. Zwischen den Welten – Zwischen den Generationen" (german)
36. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN; "Gräff & Gräff im Vergleich" (german)
37. ↑ "Steirerschlössl" Zeltweg, Red Bull Projekt Spielberg (german)
38. ↑ Newspaper article: Kleine Zeitung; "Wo Tradition auf Aufbruch trifft" (german)
39. ↑ The land of Styria - Das Land Steiermark, Kulturservice (german)
40. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN: "Kunst kommt zu den Leuten" (german)
41. ↑ Univ-Doz Dr. Friedrich Polleross: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla. In: Das Waldviertel, herausgegeben vom Waldviertler Heimatbund, p. 213
42. ↑ Newspaper article: NÖN, "Gräff-Schüler" treten stark auf (german)
43. ↑ vernisssage art magacine
44. ↑ Univ-Doz Dr. Friedrich Polleross: Gemälde von Matthias Laurenz Gräff im Museum in Neupölla. In: Das Waldviertel, herausgegeben vom Waldviertler Heimatbund, p. 213
45. ↑ Interkultureller Verein Makedonien, 20 years anniversary (15th photo) (german)
46. ↑ www.daswaldviertel.at