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Anton Stankowski
Anton Stankowski was a German photographer, painter, and graphic designer.
His work is characterized by geometric abstraction, clean lines, and a functional aesthetic. He was a pioneer of modern visual communication, and his work continues to shape the visual identity of numerous companies to this day. Even before World War II, he worked closely with the Zurich Concrete artists and developed his new photographic and typographic concept of “constructive graphics.” After the war, he opened his own graphic design studio for “functional graphics” in Stuttgart and designed logos for Deutsche Bank, Iduna, Munich Re, and Rewe, among others. In the 1970s, he turned to non-representational painting, as he was convinced that the boundary between applied and fine art had to be overcome. His work Unfolded on White, part of the museum’s collection, served as the starting point first for the MKK’s logo and subsequently for that of the MKKD.
Anton Stankowski (1906–1998), Aufgeklappt auf Weiß (Unfolded on white), 1989, acrylic on canvas, 90 × 65 cm, © Stankowski-Foundation, Stuttgart; Photo: Museum für Konkrete Kunst und Design, Hubert P. Klotzeck
Anton Stankowski (1906–1998), Strahlung (Radiation), 1989, acrylic on canvas, 90 × 90 cm, © Stankowski-Foundation, Stuttgart; Photo: Museum für Konkrete Kunst und Design, Hubert P. Klotzeck
Biography
1906
Born in Gelsenkirchen
1927
Studied at the Folkwang School in Essen under Max Burchartz
1940
Drafted as a soldier into World War II
1951
Founded a graphic design studio in Stuttgart
1964
Participated in documenta III in Kassel
1964
Visiting lecturer at the Ulm School of Design
1969–1972
Visual designer for the Olympic Games in Munich
1983
Founded the Stankowski Foundation
1991
Hans Molfenter Prize from the City of Stuttgart
1998
Harry Graf Kessler Prize from the Artists’ Association in Berlin
1998
Died in Esslingen am Neckar
2022
Through a donation from the Stankowski Foundation in Stuttgart, 207 works by the artist were added to the collection of the Foundation for Concrete Art and Design.
Past exhibitions at the MKKD
2026
Becoming MKKD. On Planning and Creating a Museum (group exhibition)
2025
In Preparation: The Exhibition (group exhibition)
2022
The Other Side of Design: Anton Stankowski and the Next Generation
2016
Logo: The Art of Signs (group exhibition)