Germany
* Dec. 15, 1930 Rietheim-Weilheim
† March 28, 2004 Rottweil
Erich Hauser quickly became the leading steel sculptor of his generation; his sculptures, mainly made of stainless steel and finely polished, can now be found as public art in many German cities, most of them in the southern part of the country. At the beginning of his career, he created shiny silver tube and column formations; however, in later years he designed sculptures made of triangular shaped elements, the so-called “hedgehogs”. It is striking that the works do not bear a descriptive title, but rather just a consecutive number, combined with the year in which they were completed.
Even if the artist’s sculptures appear very similar at first glance, they differ significantly upon closer inspection. Hauser, who mastered the “grammar of steel” like no other, created around 1000 steel works in his artistic life. A selection of around 70 sculptures can be viewed on his estate in Rottweil, which he had converted into a sculpture park still during his lifetime. Today, the site is managed by the Erich Hauser Art Foundation.
