Page 18 - Community Living Magazine 30-3

Art

HermAnn groSS: ArtISt

InSPIreD BY CHIlDren wItH

leArnIng DISABIlItIeS

robin Jackson tells the extraordinary story of
Hermann Gross, a German Expressionist artist who lived
amongst a community of children with learning disabilities
and was inspired by them to paint on themes of social
renewal, interdependence and the meaning of vulnerability.

t the beginning of World
A War II Dr Karl Koenig
and a group of refugees from
Austria and Germany founded
the frst Camphill community
in Scotland. Koenig had meeting rooms and in the gardens.
developed a vision of a Gross made a signifcant contribution
‘learning community’ where to the community’s understanding of the
the traditional boundaries purpose and value of art, not simply
between professional by making his work available to the
disciplines would be dissolved, community but by ensuring that the
the spiritual well-being of art-making process itself was accessible
those living in the community and visible and not some precious and
nurtured and respected, exclusive activity. In essence, he was
creativity, spontaneity and engaged in the demystifcation of the
originality encouraged and process – but not of the product.
where ecological sensitivity
and responsibility would Gross’s work is unusual insofar as there
be exercised. are relatively few examples of children
as principal subjects in either classical
Koenig was looking at one possible or modern art – apart from the iconic
way to generate social renewal representations of the Christ child – yet
at a time of social disintegration For the founders of children feature strongly in his work.
and to send a message of hope at Camphill and for gross, Not only does Gross take children as
a time of widespread despair. the search for new social his main subjects but he goes one step
Having experienced some of the forms was never an further and encourages the viewer to
horrors of a hate-fuelled Nazi regime, abstract idea — it was refect upon the transient nature of
Koenig was determined to create a an urgent necessity. childhood and all the vulnerabilities
community in which compassion and As the community gave inherent in it. The challenge for the
tolerance were present, for it was his work new life, artist is to be able to convey that
compassion and tolerance that bound so he offered new life message without recourse to the
communities together. It was Koenig’s to the community. cloyingly sentimental images that
belief that co-workers in the characterised much of Victorian
communities should live and work illustrations depicting childhood.
together with children and adults Both for the founders of Camphill and
with special needs in such a way for Gross, the search for new social Gross does not present a form of
that new social forms might develop: forms was never an abstract idea — sentimental art that leads the viewer
the co-workers would share every it was an urgent necessity. As the away from active engagement with the
aspect of their lives with the children community gave his work new life, ambiguities and complexities of the
and work without remuneration. so he offered new life to the community. real world. Sentimentality in art makes
no demands upon us, requires no
Inspiration It had always been one of the aims of struggle, involves only a narrow range
It was to this distinctive community the founders of Camphill to foster social of feelings, arouses no thoughts or
that Hermann Gross – a German art. Gross began a process whereby feelings about the real world:
Expressionist artist and former pupil of people were challenged to look at it represents a general failure of
Picasso – came to live and work. their surroundings in a new way. imagination. Gross was aware that
Working in this residential setting This stimulated an interest in what was the kind of social renewal that his
became a source of inspiration for him. put on the walls of the houses and Camphill colleagues sought could only

16 Vol 30 No 3 | Spring 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk