Overprints: Portraits by Heinz Lechner

November 9, 2002 - January 5, 2003

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Austrian photographer Heinz Lechner exhibited a selection of his oversized portrait collages in the main floor galleries through January 5, 2003.

Included in the exhibit were Lechner’s Portrait Overworkings of Don Cherry, Bob Geldof, Allen Ginsburg, the Dalai Lama, Simon Wiesenthal and other notable people. Lechner created his portrait collages by layering cut pieces from black and white shots over a color image. Each piece was presented with a musical selection chosen by the sitter. Having played the violin and drums professionally, Lechner finds his sitters’ favorite music significant. In addition to presenting his pieces with music chosen by the sitter, he also listened to his sitters’ choice of music to find inspiration for his collages.

Also included in the exhibit was a selection of Lechner’s more recent works, his Portrait Overprints, in which two or three portraits of different individuals are combined as multiple exposures, creating a visual dialogue between the faces. Purely visual experimentation, these pieces are not presented with music. This series was the subject of a full-color catalogue produced by the Museum with an essay by John Edwards.

Lechner has photographed famous musicians, writers, politicians, and humanitarians for the past two decades. He has also worked for several publications, was the official tour photographer for the Rolling Stones, and has done many collaborative projects including several films, a photography class for television, and a "hybrid pictures" series with Austrian painter, Christian Ludwig Attersee. He created a Land Art Project, Ars Longa Vita Brevis in Southern Austria which opened in 1995. His photography has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibits in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, San Francisco, New York, and Naples, Florida.