Drawing has long been seen as a minor art she says

The bulk of the work of Tomi Ungerer, books for children in porn-morbid drawings passing by countless posters, has definitively its quarters end of 2007 in villa Greiner, a middle posh neoclassical building of the villa Mathis, residence of the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. At the heart of Strasbourg, the articulation of German headquarters, European industry and the network of alleys leading to the Cathedral, the collection until then nomadic found a location symbolic representative of the route of Tomi Ungerer, rare artist French and Rhenish having met in its line the legacy of Gustave Doré, Honoré Daumier, Albrecht Dürer or of Wilhelm Busch, but also Americans Ronald Searle and Saul Steinberg.

It is in this last, born in 1914 and disappeared in 1999, that will be devoted the first temporary exhibition prepared by the Museum for the end of November. Will certainly follow Searle, Sempé, André François or Dubout. The major project of the newest of the Strasbourg municipal museums is, indeed, to do justice to the illustrators: "drawing is the most personal of graphic expression and direct form", said Tomi Ungerer in 1982 at the "New York Times Magazine", reflection noted by Thérèse Willer, expert of his work and curator of the Museum. "Drawing has long been seen as a minor art, she says." In France, it is much interested in comics, illustration, regarded as a minor art alone. "Thérèse Willer follows the career of Tomi Ungerer for thirty-five years. It is this science project since 1992 and leads today, in his words, "the only museum dedicated in France to a living artist", recognized as early as the year the label of the museums of France last.

Major donations

Born on November 28, 1931 in Strasbourg, her father being engineer and manufacturer of astronomical clocks, Tomi Ungerer draws since childhood. He is permanently marked by the nazi indoctrination from 1939 to 1945 at Colmar and facing the ban after the war the Alsatian... In 1956, he landed "with $ 60 in your pocket and a canteen of drawings" in New York, where he will live until 1971. In 1976, it is the return to Europe and its installation in Ireland, period from which he returned by frequent stays with the Alsace.

As early as 1975, Tomi Ungerer made a significant donation to Strasbourg, gesture which will be reiterated in 1991 and 2008. The Alsatian capital becomes owner of 11,000 graphic works and 6500 old mechanical toys, recurrent pattern in the universe of Ungerer. "The importance of this Fund has allowed us to carry out five different presentations since the opening." We have major qualitative series, including New York, very marking cycle. "The main issue of our institution is to demonstrate that the work of an Illustrator a vocation to enter the Museum," analysis Thérèse Willer.

On three levels: building 600 square meters in a very sober museography designed by the Ticino Roberto Ostinelli architect may appear relatively to the close. "We can make 300 to 350 works." This is sufficient for the time to visit we 1 hour 30. This can hardly be longer because of the intimate relationship that is created with the drawing. "We do not allow more than 90 visitors simultaneously and we preferred the comfort of visit," said curator. The Tomi Ungerer Museum is a place to see and review, which the visitors is 40 international. 100.000E visitors were received on 26 June. "We in distinguished four, a Bâloise, a German student, a Strasbourgeoise with a friend came from Israel." This corresponds to our project and the radiation of the work of Ungerer, we are very satisfied with this first report.

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