Throughout his life the Zurich Concrete Artist Camille Graeser favoured scientific methods for his compositions. His concrete constructivist paintings all followed analytical rules and rational principles of organisation. And the process of producing the image was always preceded by numerous studies and draughts. These small works on paper form an unbroken line through Graeser’s entire output, and were used to systematically permutate the subject matter of his paintings and to try out variations on the composition and the colour scheme.

The exhibition at Museum Ritter presents selected studies and sketches from the period when Graeser worked in Zurich (1937-80). They have been presented in dialogue with realised reliefs and paintings representing every major phase of his work – from the early reliefs of the late 1930s to his so-called “Stäbe” [= batons] in the 1970s. In this way the exhibition will not only present key images from Camille Graeser’soeuvre, but also grant fascinating insights into the genesis of his compositions – from the first hazily sketched idea to the realised work.

The exhibition has been produced in collaboration with the Camille Graeser Foundation, and the concept developed by its in-house conservator Vera Hausdorff. The first leg of this presentation took place in summer 2009 at Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue of the same name published by Wienand Verlag, Cologne.