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cutout from › Nr. 250 Werner Popken was born 1948 as Werner Missbach. His father was book printer, born in Haderlev, now Denmark, and spoke danish as a young child. His mother was a seamstress and came from Sudetenland. He was the first child in the entire kinship to attend to high school and married Elke Stürenburg in 1979, changing his name. He was divorced in 1998. In 2004, he married Greta Popken and changed his name again. He signs with   -- an explanation is given in › signature. Since 1966, he studied Mathematics, Physics, Art History, Philosophy in Berlin, New Orleans and Bielefeld, among others with . He received his Master in 1974 and his PhD in 1976, both in Mathematics, and was high school teacher (for math and art) until 1982, free lancing since. He had his first eshibition as a one-man show "Werner Stürenburg" at Leopold-Hoesch-Museum Düren in 1983, with catalog and published his Basel Manifesto on the occasion of his participation at Art Basel 1984. None of his works is intentionally invented. They don't have a title either. They are dated and documented, though, so the artistic development can be seen very nicely. Why do you paint? Good question. Obviously, something wants to show up. Painting doesn't leave me alone, so I give in. I don't search, don't investigate, don't experiment, don't want anything, I simply open myself and just let the pictures come, being suprised myself. What do these pictures mean? My works don't tell stories, don't illustrate ideas, they aren't decoration, don't center around imminent art questions, are not arbitrary or volitional, not meant to provoke. Hence they are not "modern art". What then? No easy answer. They are obviously meaningful and seem to talk about life as such, man's existence, basic questions of being. Who am I? What do I do here? Where do I stand? What is important? Initially, every painting is as enigmatic for me as for any other person. Over the years, the dialog with the particular work produces deeper insight explaining the fascination induced by the mystery. Thus a new dimension of art is opened up. A titel would hinder this process and thus be counterproductive. These works would not be possible without the predecessors of modern art and are indebted to a high degree to the colleagues » Rembrandt van Rijn, » Pablo Picasso und » Max Beckmann. Biography 1948  Born in Lower Saxony, (West) Germany, as Werner Missbach 1966  Studies Mathematics, Physics, Art History, Philosophy at Free University Berlin 1969  One-year-studies at Tulane Universtiy, New Orleans, USA Body of work created in Berlin sold at auction, concentrates on photography 1972  Diploma in Mathematics (MA), Universtiy Bielefeld (Helmut Lenzing) 1976  Ph.D. in Mathematics, Universtiy Bielefeld (Andreas Dress) 2. State Diploma Teacher at German High Schools, Bielefeld 1978  1. State Diploma Teacher for Art, Bochum 1979  Married to Elke Stürenburg, change of name to Werner Stürenburg 1982  Left office, started free-lance work 1983  One-Man-Show "Werner Stürenburg" at » Leopold-Hoesch-Museum Düren, › WDR-radio-live-interview One-Man-Show "Werner Stürenburg" Kreishaus Hürth, WDR-TV-report with live-interview (lost) Group Show Kiel » Ostseehalle, Art Award 1984  Participation Art Basel, Publication › Basel Manifesto One-Man-Gallery-Shows Bonn, Kiel, Dortmund, Witten, Bad Oeynhausen 1985  15-piece Altar-Popus with 4 panels One-Man-Show "Moon Time", Löhne 1986  One-Man-Gallery-Shows Bielefeld, Galleria Campanile Bari (Italy) 1998  Divorce of Elke Stürenburg 2004  Married to Greta Popken, change of name to Werner Popken

 
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 Dr. Werner Popken    Hauptstr. 13    32609 Hüllhorst    Germany
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Werner Stürenburg: Development of signature