Herbert Zangs

A post-war Minimalist, Herbert Zangs can be readily recognized by his miniature monochromatic works. Influenced by his Paris visit, Zangs was drawn to abstract art early on. Eventually, he mastered his own style, and adhered to the "Whitenings" movement in art, where monochromatic art is exhibited with nature's play of light and shade. Art connoisseurs would label him as a follower of Group Zero, founded by fellow German artists Heinz Mack and Otto Piene. A prime example of his work resembling that of Zero is Vibrations Relief-Paintings series, where art is left to the nature for spontaneous expression. An avid traveler, Zhangs was influenced by the works of other avant-garde artists like Wols, Jackson Pollock, and Lothar Quinte. Fascinated by German Art Informel, he incorporated found objects such as paper, cardboard, and fabric in his works. Labeled as "enfant terrible", Herbert Zangs often worked impromptu, but he was only a product of his own time where post-war Germany sought much needed optimism in the face of scarcity. His works served exactly that by bringing beauty with minimal components.