1. Gustav Metzger was a stateless artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike.
19 Facts About Gustav Metzger
1. 2.
Gustav Metzger was born to Polish Jewish parents in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1926 and came to Britain in 1939 as a refugee under the auspices of the Refugee Children Movement.
3.
Gustav Metzger lost his Polish citizenship and was stateless since the late 1940s.
4.
Gustav Metzger received a grant from the UK Jewish community to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp between 1948 and 1949.
5.
Gustav Metzger became a vegetarian in 1944 and remained a strong advocate of vegetarianism throughout his life.
6.
Gustav Metzger was among the first to take a stand against environmental pollution and nuclear proliferation.
7.
Gustav Metzger was active in the Committee of 100 - a 'named' member.
8.
In 1959, Gustav Metzger published the first auto-destructive manifesto Auto-Destructive Art.
9.
Gustav Metzger worked with Cream, providing them with light shows in the 1960s.
10.
Gustav Metzger felt that artists are especially threatened, because so many rely on nature as a big inspiration.
11.
Gustav Metzger was a non-smoker and teetotaller who did not drink coffee or English tea.
12.
Gustav Metzger carried around his own supply of green tea and was described as a vegan in his later years.
13.
Gustav Metzger declared the piece ruined and created a new bag as a replacement.
14.
The painter David Bomberg, the leading light of the Borough Group, taught Gustav Metzger and was influential in his development.
15.
Gustav Metzger was influenced by the artwork of Johannes Vermeer and the naturopathy of Edmond Szekely.
16.
Gustav Metzger died at the age of 90 at his home in London on 1 March 2017.
17.
Gustav Metzger is buried on the east side of Highgate Cemetery.
18.
When Gustav Metzger was lecturing at Ealing Art College, one of his students was rock musician Pete Townshend, who later cited Gustav Metzger's concepts as an influence for his famous guitar-smashing during performances of The Who.
19.
Gustav Metzger has influenced the self-eating computer virus works by the digital artist Joseph Nechvatal.