EARLY ENCOUNTERS

Father's architecture bureau.

The ink pens, the smell of paper, the blueprint machine, the modelling clay and the large drawing boards, in short, the magic of architecture. As a child, I experienced these sensory perceptions directly and very intensively. Breathe, touch, taste architecture.

My father studied during war time Germany at the Staatsbauschule in Munich 1943- 1946. His school was bombed, some courses could not be delivered. But holding his transcripts today they confirm his excellence as a draftsman.

I admire my father's excellent craftsmanship, the artistic and aesthetic qualities of his drawings, and his extensive skills as an architect and civil engineer. He had his own surveying equipment. A was a classic architect.

These observations triggered the reflex in the child to imitate these fascinating processes, to imagine, draw and build. This also made me familiar with building and the comprehensive tasks of the architect. Dad spent hours calculating the costs and pondering over tenders and work schedules. It looked so significant, so important. Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was a small boy.

Art Gallery 'Lydia Kern'

Established in 1970, my parents attempted to branch out into art with the aim to increase impact and reputation of father's architecture bureau.  The seemingly boundless artists' imagination and creativity became a lasting source of inspiration.  

My parents became close friends with some of the nationally renowned artists such as Friedl Dethleffs-Edelmann and Ursula Dethleffs, Sepp Mahler, and Agnes Auffinger, and many more. This was a never-ending stream of stimulation.

Most of the artists exhibiting in our gallery showed interest in us children. They loved my scribblings and naïve drawings. There was never anything wrong, they always gave praise and encouragement.

It was the doing that counted, not the perfection. Thinking and acting were the same. To this day, these are pillars of my own pedagogy and in my view the foundation of all effective training in all creative subjects.