Max Kämpf

Max " Megge " Fighting ( born May 15, 1912 in Basel, † September 26, 1982 ) was a Swiss painter and draftsman.

He was born as the youngest son of three children of Basel baker Emanuel Fighting at the Riehentorstrasse. After leaving school he took the profession of flat painter and worked for seven years as a journeyman. Impressed by the painters Arnold Böcklin and Vincent van Gogh, he started early to paint itself. In 1934 he became known for his image " emigrants " in the Basel art scene, but continued his work as a painter after flat. He attended courses in passing at the Basel Arts and Crafts School in Albrecht Mayer and Arnold Fiechter. There he met his long -time partner Julie Schätzle know. 1939, at the age of 27, he decided to quite as a freelance artist to work.

Works and life stages

Kämpfs interest was the human and its manifestations, he felt the simple people of the street together and put this in his numerous children, dance, act and (self-) portraits dar. Also at the wild ( alleyways ), Basel Fasnacht he found much favor, so he created, as well as Jean Tinguely, for the Fasnacht clique " Kuttlebutzer » 1965 Gostymserie called Ghost. Also wire and clay, for small works were among his working materials, including bricks were also used as a carrier for portraits of children. In the 30s and 40s, he devoted himself to painting, at first mainly in shades of gray and thick applications of paint, later these were easier and more transparent. Fighting used the panel and mural painting among others. in fresco and sgraffito technique, he also devoted himself to book illustrations and commercial art. His later drawings from the 50s and 60s excel with all its light, dancing line drawings, which includes a private life seems to be to own that stands still only just for a moment. At best this comes in the dance drawings for validity.