Robert Michel

Biography

Born Robert Johan Gustav Michel 27 February 1897 in Vockenhausen, near Frankfurt, Taunus. 1916: attached to a wartime avaiation research establishment, he was injured in a plane crash; recuperated in Weimar, and discharged 1917. He was permitted to study art, architecture and engineering at the Weimar Kunstgewerbeschule (later: Bauhaus). 1918: worked for a printing firm; opened studio in Weimar. 1919: married Ella Bergmann, a fellow Bauhaus student. From 1920: opened studio in Eppstein, Taunus; designed architecture, lighted advertising signs. 1921: used photography and collage; began designing advertisements. 1926-7: traveled with Kurt Schwitters to Holland. 1927: founding member of the ring ‘neue Werbegestalter’. Founded architectural office in Frankfurt. 1930: member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten (Association of German Architects). 1933: his work declared ‘degenerate’ (entartete); closed architectural office. 1933-45: no artistic work; worked for (Department of?) Fisheries and Economic Water Planning, and after 1945 was on numerous committees for these industries. 1954: resumed designing. Died 11 June 1983 in Titisee-Neustadt.

Many of his exhibitions were shared with his artist-wife Ella Bergmann-Michel (1896-1972). From c1929 she was active in documentary films and industrial design.

Writings about

  • Bodo and Heinz Rasch, Gefesselter Blick (brief illustrated studies of the work of contemporary designers) , Stuttgart: Zaugg, 1930 (repr. Baden, Switzerland: Müller, 1996)
  • Herta Wescher (intro.), Pioniere der Bildcollage. Ella Bergmann und Robert Michel. Werke von 1917 bis 1962 (exh. cat.), Leverkusen: Städtisches Museum, Schloss Morsbroich, 1963 (includes biographies, bibliographies)
  • ella bergmann-michel. robert michel. retrospective 1917-66 (exh. cat.), London: Annely Juda Gallery, 1972 (biographies, bibliographies)
  • Ella Bergmann-Michel und Robert Michel (exh. cat.), Cologne: Gal. Bargera, 1974
  • Dr S. Salzmann (intro.), Robert Michel 1918-30 (exh. cat.), London: Annely Juda, 1982 (biography, bibliography)
  • Volker Rattemeyer, Dietrich Helms and others, Ring ‘neue werbegestalter’. Amsterdamer Ausstellung von 1931 (additional on title page: ‘“Typographie kann unter Umständen Kunst sein”’) (exh. cat.), Wiesbaden: Museum Wiesbaden, 1990 (Exh.: Landesmuseum, Wiesbaden, 1990
  • Sprengel Museum, Hannover, 1990/91
  • Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, 1991)
  • Volker Rattemeyer, Dietrich Helms and others, Kurt Schwitters. Typographie und Werbegastaltung (additional on title page: ‘“Typographie kann unter Umständen Kunst sein”’) (exh. cat.), Wiesbaden: Museum Wiesbaden, 1990 (Exh.: Landesmuseum, Wiesbaden, 1990
  • Sprengel Museum, Hannover, 1990/91
  • Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, 1991), esp. p. 107
  • Benezit, 2006 (includes auction records 1978-2004).

Exhibitions

  • Bauhaus (with wife Ella Bergmann-Michel), 1919
  • Kestner, Hannover, 1920
  • Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden, 1923, 1925 (with El Lissitzky and Kurt Schwitters)
  • International Exhibition of Advertising Art, Essen, 1930
  • Frankfurt a.M., 1932 (housing), 1933 (building and living)
  • Lord’s Gallery, London, 1960
  • Gallery Delta, Basle, 1962
  • Städtische Museum, Leverkusen (with Ella Bergmann-Michel), 1963
  • Wadell Gallery, New York, 1968 (retrospective)
  • Juda Gallery, London, 1972, 1983
  • Cologne, 1974.