“People don’t know . . . That art [of mine] . . . was beyond a doubt, it was beyond a doubt, it was out of the world, it was out of this world.” -Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (1910-1983)Vonbruenchenhein.com is pleased to announce the launch of its website:
http://vonbruenchenhein.com, an online gallery of Visionary artist Eugene Von Bruenchenhein’s paintings from 1954-1963. This online collection is the most comprehensive to date.
Born in Wisconsin in 1910, Von Bruenchenhein married a local girl and worked in a bakery during the ten years that he completed his most imaginative pieces. Most of his paintings were completed in a single frenzied session, one to three hours in length. His neighbors regarded him as a weird character. EVB saw himself as a great artist, but was unsuccessful in selling his work or gaining any recognition. By his own accounting, he completed 1,080 paintings. When he died, his small house was crammed from floor to ceiling with them.
“I first saw Eugene Von Bruenchenhein’s paintings in 2003. I found them mysterious and evocative, and full of energy” says Rich Shapero, the collector who is bringing EVB’s online collection of paintings to life. “The more I looked at them, the more they expanded beyond the borders of the frame . . . the paintings completed during 1954-1963 are extraordinary.”
The online collection has been organized into 22 galleries (
http://vonbruenchenhein.com/galleries) and designed such that each image can expand to the full dimensions of a computer screen, with high-level zoom functionality, allowing for detailed views of EVB’s paintings that have never been seen before. The website also includes never before released audio clips of EVB’s self-made recordings talking about his art.
Vonbruenchenhein.com is interested in obtaining more images of Eugene Von Bruenchenhein’s paintings, along with whatever documentation and anecdotal information may be available. Those owning an EVB painting may wish to consider providing a photo to add to the online collection. Vonbruenchenhein.com continues to add paintings to the Collection archive, so if a painting is changing hands, there may be an interest. Please contact the curator for vonbruenchenhein.com, Paul Melnychuck, at paul@tfim.com or via phone at 650.851.4482.
