Glass and Light - Aloys F. Gangkofner- Work Over Four Decades (German, Hardcover)

Aloys F. Gangkofner (1920-2003) is a name to be reckoned with among specialists in glass. Born in the Bavarian Forest region, Gangkofner was head of the glass department at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts for over three decades. His 1950s art glass pieces, all of them one-offs and mouth-blown at the Lambert Glassworks in Waldsassen, made him famous worldwide. A deft handling of form and superlative workmanship earned him acclaim among specialists and a shower of awards. Since his art glass is comparable to the supreme achievements in Murano glass, Gangkofner's work was honoured with the gold medal at the 1953 Milan Triennale. The present publication traces Gangkofner's collaboration not only with the Lambert Glassworks in Waldsassen (one-off pieces) and the Hessen Glassworks in Stierstadt (serial pieces) but also with the lighting manufacturers Peill + Putzler in Duren and Erco in Ludenscheid.Gangkofner was head designer at Erco Lighting and it is on his work that the firm's worldwide renown is based. Moreover, the many commissions Gangkofner executed for public spaces are included in this book; unfortunately, only a few of those works have survived. This book also gives insights into the more than thirty years Gangkofner spent teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. As a designer, Gangkofner was responsible for an impressive range of products so that he is definitely one of the most important post-war German designers. This first monograph on Gangkofner's work presents a fundamental and comprehensive survey.