Heinz Te Laake

Heinz te Laake born 1925 in Berlin / died 2001 in Erbach in the Rheingau

Heinz te Laake (1925–2001) was a versatile German artist whose work encompasses painting, graphic art, sculpture, kinetic, and applied art. Born in Berlin, he studied from 1945 to 1950 at the Academy of Fine Arts under Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Influential study trips took him, among other places, to Paris and Athens. After his studies, he first worked in Düsseldorf; later, he lived and worked with his wife Marlis in a studio apartment at Schloss Reinhartshausen in the Rheingau region, where both were also buried.

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Te Laake’s work is characterized by a remarkable stylistic range. In painting, he began with expressive figures and nude motifs, but soon developed his own modern visual language with mythological references, for example, in works such as Dionysos and Ariadne or Kastor & Polydeukes. His kinetic ‘clock pictures’ – mechanically moving Plexiglas objects with integrated clockworks, which united painting, technology, and movement – created since 1957, received significant attention. These limited works, such as Battle of the Amazons (1972), are considered highlights of his oeuvre.

In addition to fine art, Te Laake also turned to applied art. He designed wristwatches, porcelain objects, table decorations, and artist labels for renowned Rheingau wineries such as Balthasar Ress and Schloss Reinhartshausen. His functional art objects combine aesthetics with everyday usability and are highly sought-after collector’s items today.

Works by Heinz te Laake are held, among others, in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs Lausanne, and the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum Ludwigshafen. He was supported, among others, by the collector couple Theodor and Ulla Ahrenberg. Currently, his painterly oeuvre is being scientifically processed; a catalogue raisonné is being created at KunstKontor Wiesbaden. Te Laake is considered an important representative of German post-war art, who uniquely combined art, technology, and everyday culture.