Reiner Ruthenbeck (1937-2016) was a sculptor and conceptual artist, a contemporary of Gerhard Richter, Blinky Palermo, and Sigmar Polke.
Ruthenbeck was known for transforming space using unconventional materials like giant swathes of fabric and crumpled paper.
He began his career in the 1960s as a photographer, documenting performances and exhibitions by ZERO, Fluxus, and Joseph Beuys.
Indeed, he studied under Beuys in his sculpture class at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1962 to 1968.
A year before he participated in Strategy: Get Arts, Ruthenbeck was involved in the important group exhibition When Attitudes Become Form, curated by Harald Szeemann at the Kunsthalle Bern in 1969.
Ruthenbeck in situ with students
At SGA, Ruthenbeck, along with student assistants, would create a small mountainous pile of crumpled black paper on a studio floor, which he referred to as a ‘highland’. He was one of several artists at SGA, including Günther Uecker, keen to create an environment in situ.
The presence of these artists and the inspiration they gave to the student helpers and onlookers was partly what made SGA such an exciting event.
In discussion with Christian Weikop, SGA student helper Alexander Hamilton has said that Ruthenbeck’s ‘highland’ was one of the first works that somebody wanted to buy:
