“Herman 'n' only” :

Trademark: Jags and Edges

Herman’s works of art come oil or acrylic on canvas, mainly. Sometimes on wood or whatever material he gets his hands on. In his recent works he even paints on the canvas rim so a frame is not neccessarily neccessary. Herman’s original graphic prints are silk screen printed by Herman himself in up to twelve colours on high quality hand-made paper: editions are limited to until 100 graphic prints. Each is numbered and signed by the artist.

The eye catcher in Herman’s works of art is always his trademark: jags and edges. Jagged-edged arrows indicate relationships, and vigorously active double dashes create dynamic and action. Stylistic elements from the pictorial language of cartoons. No wonder, it was cartoons that Herman’s artistic life started off with. Herman, one ‘n’ only, was born 43 years ago in Paderborn, Eastern Westphalia. A Gemini in two senses. Twinbrother Rolf, also semi-Italian, made a ‘real career’ as a dentist. Herman qualified as a silk screen-printer. He still lives in the conservative catholic cathedral town with his wife Claudia and the two children Dario and Elena: “It’s just convenient to be in a place you’ve known for so long“. On top of that the picturesque Paderborn surroundings are most suitable for cycling - a hobby he fulfills with great enthusiasm. In his hobby, as well as in everything he likes doing, he invests a great deal of energy: 200 kilometers per week at least and once a year one week cycling on the island of Lanzarote with the professionals.

Herman has achieved what he always wanted: to create art. He took a roundabout way: professionally as a printer and as art director of an advertising agency - from an artistic point of view via cartoons to his first large-format oil paintings in 1991. Since then -according to notable sources- Herman’s artistic language has become more and more clear, the shapes are more simple, and the characters more radiate. Some of his characters are pretty famous, i. e. ‘Adam & Eve’ and ‘Rosenkavalier’.

His paintings show common everyday situations, some with hidden humor, some with biting burlesque. The titles play an important role in his art, bring the observer into Herman’s world and make him smile. Herman Reichold defines art as a part of life, nothing glamorous, rather light-hearted - no sacred cow.

CURRICULUM:

In 1994 Herman was remarkably successful with his light hearted and bizarre studies of the Office Biotype, witch resulted in a series of oil paintings. The same year 14 oil paintings proved to be a magnet for visitors at the Orgatec, Cologne, the largest European office exhibition. They were shown in combination with futuristic office furnishings as part of a fringe symposium by the trade magazine ‘Mensch & Büro’. Various media took the time and space to feature Herman’s brilliantly satirical comments on everyday office life. A special award was created in 1996 for Herman’s entry to the NOKIA Creative Competition: ‘The Face in the Crowd’.

Herman took particular pleasure in an excursion into the world of furniture design. In conjunction with Dauphin, the Bavarian office furniture manufacturer, he designed a table and two chairs in his distinct and droll style. They had their first appearance at the 1996 Orgatec-Exhibition in Cologne. Today these design objects are exhibited at the Dauphin Museum and are demanded for presentations and events. Herman’s art is always on the move, even on a large truck of the forwarding agency FOOD CARRIER, Luxembourg. The company invited European art academies and universities to a competition in 1996 to create an artistic design for cold-storage trucks.

Herman has not only won awards - he also designed some. In 1996 for the radio station KLASSIK RADIO. Their first nationwide awards were presented in the categories education, media and marketing at the Babelsberg Studios, Potsdam.

In 1996 the Vatican sent an official expression of appreciation, thanking Herman with the words: ’a token of loyalty and reverence as well as the high valued gift’. When the Pope Johannes Paul visited Paderborn in the summer, he was endowed with Herman’s No. 1 original graphic print of ‘Adam & Eve’. Herman designed his first Telephon-CARD ART EDITION, a collection of exclusive chipcards for ORGA Kartensysteme, one of Europe’s largest chipcard producers. On the occassion of the company’s 25th anniversary in autumn 1997 Herman painted ‘King of Cards’ in oil - an amusing ironic persiflage on the everyday use of chipcards. The presentation of 3.000 telephone cards with this particular design was Hermans highest limited edition to date.

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