Oskar Schlemmer

Oskar Schlemmer was a German painter, sculptor, and choreographer best known for his association with the Bauhaus school, where he became a key figure in the development of modern art, performance and design. His innovative approach to integrating art and movement revolutionised the relationship between the human body, space and abstraction.

Born in 1888 in Stuttgart, Germany, Schlemmer began his artistic career studying painting and sculpture at the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Arts. After World War I, in 1920, he joined the Bauhaus, the progressive art and design school founded by Walter Gropius. A contemporary of Paul Klee at the faculty, Schlemmer first taught sculpture and mural painting, and moved on to head the theatre workshop. His multidisciplinary work there influenced generations of artists and designers.

At Bauhaus, Schlemmer's most celebrated work was his Triadic Ballet (1922). A symphony of trios, where the ballet is divided into three sections, performed by three dancers, the piece merged Schlemmer’s talent for choreography, scenography and costume design. The performers wore elaborate, geometric costumes that turned the human body into abstract forms, creating a striking visual spectacle that aligned with Bauhaus ideals of form and function. This avant-garde approach and aesthetic made him a pioneer of performance art.

Schlemmer’s interest in human movement in space extended into his paintings. The artist explored abstraction, geometry and the relationship between humans and machines. His figures were often reduced to simple, geometric forms, highlighting his fascination with the mechanization of the human body and the influence of modernity on identity.

Schlemmer’s impact reached beyond the art world; David Bowie, known for his theatrical performances, cited Schlemmer as an inspiration. Bowie’s interest in avant-garde performance and costume design can be traced back to Oskar Schlemmer Bauhaus concepts, particularly in his 1970s stage persona and his exploration of abstraction and futurism.

Following his dismissal from his teaching post in Berlin by the Nazis in 1933, Schlemmer found refuge from persecution in a small village in southern Baden, where he attempted to make a living by farming and sheep raising. During the final years of his life, he painted with renewed balance between naturalism and abstraction, creating a series of 18 Fensterbilder (‘Window Pictures’) depicting neighbours engaged in domestic tasks observed through his window. Oskar Schlemmer died in 1943 at the age of 54.