Josef Wehrle is a German based artist who graduated as a sculptor at the Staatliche Berufsfachschule Oberammergau in 1975 and after which he took on his fathers farm but also worked continuously as an artist.
On first seeing his sculptures they are reminiscent of Alberto Giacometti and other artists of the post war generation but essentially every artist will reflect of the works of other artists to some level .The question becomes has the work got it´s own life or does it command a sense of it´s own existence? To me art is a passion and a compulsion, it is part of me and something I will always do and in Josef Wehrle I see he has the same relationship with his work. I met Josef during the summer when I had a show in the south of Germany and I had the good fortune to be able to call into his studio which was once a barn for his cows.
He works in varied materials but mainly Iron and wood, the theme is usually figurative and the finish is quite raw but also elegant like this hand in the foreground. He has recently retired and now commits himself fully to his art, he is now represented my Marc De Coene with whom he exhibits regularly. It is rare now to see such work or studios as Josef´s , his work is very physical and artisan where problems in his pieces are resolved in the studio through patience, practice and skill. It was a real pleasure to spend time there and see so much of his work together.
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