ADOLF LUTHER German, 1912-1990

Adolf Luther was a German artist widely recognized as one of the first creators of kinetic and optical sculpture. Characterized by his use of convex lenses and mirrors positioned in arrays, his work often features rows of repeating environments displayed through the refraction of light at different angles. Born on April 25, 1912 in Uerdingen, Germany, he began studying law in Cologne in 1938, but his education was interrupted by his enlistment into Nazi military service and subsequent capture. Following his return to Germany as an American-held prisoner of war, he developed an interest in painting and delved into exploring the phenomenon of light throughout his work. His move from Color Field painting to sculpture in 1957 marked a crossroads in his career, where he built the first of the optical, kinetic sculptures that would constitute the focus of his studio practice thereafter. He died in 1990 in Krefeld, Germany.