Franz Xaver Höller

The artist Franz Xaver Höller (born in 1950 in Leopoldsdorf, Bavaria) is one of the masters of his genre. Being rooted in a long glass-tradition, the shape of the vessel still plays the decisive part in his work. Even though he is tempted again and again by the unrestricted sculpture, it is mostly mugs, bowls and topped vessels that come into being in his studio – yet not for usage.

And that is what makes his work so fascinating. Indeed, the shapes are borrowed from the familiar traditional glass for usage, but its sense he interprets anew. The creations belong to themselves, they have become autonomous.

 Thus, there is something unspeakable, metaphysical in his works that goes beyond the substantial. Höller takes vision and inspiration from nature’s phenomena. Rhythm and polarity, the perpetual returning and yet at the same time never equal manifestations of life are leitmotifs: day and night, life and death and over and over again pairs that, like two poles, are drawn together or pushed off from one another, symbolizing the binding and separating in unity.

 Franz Xaver Höller is successful in the artistic execution of these interrelations, because of his disciplined and at the same time forceful and wilful iconography. The magical interplay between light and glass is particularly decisive. Höller especially dedicates much attention to the surface treatment, like grinding and engraving, as it coins atmosphere and charisma of the piece of work. By designing the surface he overcomes superficiality and opens a view for profoundness.

Franz Xaver Höller is a professional artist par excellence. He went through all stages: master craftsman as polisher for cupped glass, learned glass-designer, studies of glass-design and sculpture at the art academy in Munich, freelance artist, director of workshops, amongst others at the Corning Glass Museum in New York and at the Australian National University in Canberra. Since 1981 he has been working as academic at the Public Professional Glass-School in Zwiesel.

The glass museum Alter Hof Herding is proud to be able to present the lifework of Franz Xaver Höller to you with this exhibition.

Photos:

Franz X. Höller, Deckelgefäß 260, 2007 – Photo Franz X. Höller

Franz X. Höller, Paar-VIII (234), 2003 – Photo Franz X. Höller

Franz X. Höller, Objekt (271), 2008 – Photo Horst Kolberg

Franz X. Höller, Deckelgefäß 239, 2003 – Photo Horst Kolberg