Gottfried Helnwein Biography
Gottfried Helnwein (Vienna, 8 October 1948) is an Austrian painter, photographer, set designer and performance artist of Irish origin. He studied at the University of Visual Art in Vienna (Akademie der Bildenden Kunste, Wien). He was awarded the Master of the Class prize (Meisterschulpreis) from the University of Visual Arts in Vienna, the Kardinal-Konig prize and the Theodor-Korner trophy. His early works consist mainly of hyper-realistic watercolours, depicting injured children, as well as performances often with children in public places. Helnwein is a conceptual artist, dealing primarily with psychology and social anxiety, historical issues and political topics. For this reason his work is often considered provocative and polemical. He has worked as a painter, draftsman, photographer, muralist, sculptor and performance artist, using a wide variety of techniques and mediums. Helnwein is also known for designing stages and designing costumes for theatre, ballet and opera productions. These include the Staatsoper Hamburg, the Volksbuhne Berlin and the Los Angeles Opera.
