Welcome to the digital home
of Vera Joho (née Fahrner)
and Bert (Albert) Joho.
With this website we open the next chapter in the history of our maternal grandparents. The works of two extraordinary artists of the twentieth century, far ahead of their times, will be made available to visitors of the twenty-first century.
AUSSTELLUNG
IN DER GALERIE
PFORZHEIM
Am 11. November 2018 wurde in der Galerie Pforzheim eine Ausstellung mit Arbeiten dieser beiden Maler eröffnet.
On November 11th, 2018, the Pforzheim Galerie opened an exhibition with some of the works of these two painters.
Vera Joho, Tochter des Pforzheimer Schmuckfabrikanten Theodor Fahrner, und Bert Joho, der junge Zeichenlehrer aus Karlsruhe, spielten in den zwanziger und dreißiger Jahren des 20. Jahrhunderts eine bedeutende Rolle im Kunst- und Kulturleben der Gold- und Uhrenstadt Pforzheim. Die erste Joho-Ausstellung nach langer Pause zeigt Aquarelle, Ölbilder, Kohle- und Kreidezeichnungen dieses Künstlerpaars, das sich ein Leben lang ergänzte und unterstützte. Viele dieser Arbeiten überstanden zwei Weltkriege.
Vera Joho, daughter of well-known art nouveau jewelry designer and manufacturer Theodor Fahrner, and Bert Joho, a young art teacher from Karlsruhe, were important figures in the cultural and artistic life of Pforzheim, Germany’s capital for goldsmithing and watchmaking. It is the first Joho exhibition in a long time, and it showcases oils, water colors, carbon and chalk drawings by two artists that supported and complemented each other during their entire life together. It is noteworthy that many of these paintings survived two world wars.
Historical background
It is important to know some of Germany’s history in order to better understand why Johos stood out in the society of their times, why they became prominent in cultural and artistic circles – and why they were ostracized by the Nazi regime.
The National Socialist Party took over the government of Germany in 1933, a fascist and totalitarian system that controlled every aspect of society, including the arts. Not only did Bert refuse to join the party -after all, he was a senior professor at an institution of higher learning -, his paintings did not comply with the official guidelines. His and Vera’s work was declared ‘degenerate art’ (entartete Kunst) and unworthy of being shown to the public.
BEGLEITBUCH /KATALOG
Companion Book and Catalog
Zeitgleich erscheint ein Begleitbuch, das einen Einblick in Leben und Schaffen von Vera und Bert bietet sowie eine Auswahl weiterer Werke,
Die bei dieser Ausstellung nicht gezeigt werden.
Es ist uns wichtig, diese Schätze mit Ihnen zu teilen – Bilder müssen ausgestellt und bewundert werden, nicht in Schubladen oder Archiven lagern.
Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Freude bei der Begegnung mit dem Werk von Vera und Bert Joho.
Ausstellung und Buch sind unserer Mutter gewidmet, Virginia Joho de Reinshagen, die über Jahrzehnte den Joho-Nachlass verwahrt und betreut hat.
A companion book was commissioned for this occasion. It offers some insight into the lives and the artistic work of Vera and Bert Joho as well as a selection of other paintings that were not included in this exhibition.
We are delighted to share these treasures with you – paintings are to be exhibited and admired, not hidden away in drawers or archives. Enjoy your encounter with the artwork of Vera and Bert Joho.
This exhibition and self-published book are dedicated to our mother, Virginia Joho de Reinshagen, who safeguarded and administrated the Joho legacy for many decades.
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