"Printmaking is the chamber music of the visual arts."

Erich Steininger 

Erich Steininger (born 19 November 1939 in Oberrabenthan in the Waldviertel, the eighth of nine children) was one of Austria's best-known contemporary printmakers. Like almost no other artist, he devoted himself nearly exclusively to the woodcut, which he himself liked to call the "chamber music" of the visual arts. Building on the figurative tradition of Expressionism, he developed an independent, abstract visual language that made full use of the technical possibilities of the printing process. 

His talent for drawing was recognised early and encouraged by several teachers. At the age of 13 he wanted to become a priest and moved to Vienna; in 1957 he entered the Marianist order. After completing his school-leaving exams in 1963, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, in the master classes for graphic art under Christian Ludwig Martin and later Maximilian Melcher. He was particularly influenced by the artists' group "Die Brücke" (including Kirchner, Heckel, and Nolde). His early, expressive woodcuts centred on the human figure, the landscape, village life, and religious customs. Beyond his own artistic practice, Steininger was a dedicated patron, teacher, and mediator.

From 1995 to 2009 he served as president of the Association of Lower Austrian Art Societies and directed the Documentation Centre for Modern Art (DOK) in St. Pölten, on which he left his unmistakable mark. He remained connected to his native Lower Austria throughout his life. In his final years, the former primary school in Rappottenstein – today a print cabinet (Grafikkabinett) – became the centre of his life, where he could present his work and his passion for art in an impressive setting.

More information at:
erich-steininger.at

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