Markus Thonett Art
I was born in Germany to artist parents (Will Thonett and Marianne Tralau), and studied in Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design (now IADT), Dublin, Ireland.
I taught sculpture and drawing at university level for seventeen years at
D. I .T, as well as teaching art to children, troubled youth and post grad students over the years. I held many exhibitions in both Germany and Ireland during those years.
Since meeting Tessa we have travelled the world, always making art wherever we landed - we lived in Upstate New York and Cameroon, Africa, before moving to the UK (Tessa's homeland) in 2004. We moved to Hastings in mid 2022.
Hastings Independent Review of '4 Rooms - Plus', Markus' solo exhibition in Feb 2024:
The secret rooms of St Andrew’s Mews, mysterious decaying grandeur found upstairs during renovations, have become a popular and inspirational place for local artists. Some choose to use the twelve rooms to exhibit retrospective collections, others make work inspired by the timeless, ghostly space. Markus Thonett treats us to both in his 4 Rooms – Plus show, open until the end of February. His original plan was a simple show of existing work in four rooms. But a cancellation in the other rooms gave him the space to make some new installations in response to the space, designed to reflect the visual and atmospheric feel of each room.
The show reflects Thonett’s wide breadth of practice and ability as a mixed media artist. There are card-cuts of local scenes, creations from found objects, sculpted cast concrete, and burnt wood and mirror installations, including a fascinating ‘infinity’ rail track. Markus is a thematic artist, exploring the best way to feel and communicate a subject rather than limiting himself to one practice. This is a large and impressive collection of work made over many years.
Markus Thonett with Infinity Rail Track
CONVERSATIONS: FAMILIAR AND NEW
Some of this work was comfortably familiar, created in an artistic expression I have come to know and love. Other pieces almost felt as though they were made by a different artist. It was exciting and refreshing to see an artist so open to developing and growing through new ideas. “My work is an ongoing conversation” he told me, “and like conversations between people, it jumps around different subjects.”
Being alive, experiencing the fine balance between pain and joy, is a recurrent theme. Markus finds this especially poignant in the current turbulent times. Walking through the exhibition is a journey through that balance of pain and delight. Along with big conceptual ideas, there are other pieces that are pure playfulness. He loves to elicit new ways of looking at the ordinary. Recycling, reusing, and refiguring ordinary material, he invites his audience to see everyday objects with a fresh and surprising perspective, learning something new about themselves and their place in the world.
Thonett is a unique artist, both in his solo work and in the collaborative pieces he makes with Tessa, his wife and close colleague. The pair have become pillars of the local art scene, often curating exhibitions and collections and encouraging artists at all stages of their careers. Tessa is to be acknowledged for helping Markus curate this exhibition. I can’t help wondering what is next for this power couple, and I doubt we will have to wait long to find out. S.Milne
The show reflects Thonett’s wide breadth of practice and ability as a mixed media artist. There are card-cuts of local scenes, creations from found objects, sculpted cast concrete, and burnt wood and mirror installations, including a fascinating ‘infinity’ rail track. Markus is a thematic artist, exploring the best way to feel and communicate a subject rather than limiting himself to one practice. This is a large and impressive collection of work made over many years.
Markus Thonett with Infinity Rail Track
CONVERSATIONS: FAMILIAR AND NEW
Some of this work was comfortably familiar, created in an artistic expression I have come to know and love. Other pieces almost felt as though they were made by a different artist. It was exciting and refreshing to see an artist so open to developing and growing through new ideas. “My work is an ongoing conversation” he told me, “and like conversations between people, it jumps around different subjects.”
Being alive, experiencing the fine balance between pain and joy, is a recurrent theme. Markus finds this especially poignant in the current turbulent times. Walking through the exhibition is a journey through that balance of pain and delight. Along with big conceptual ideas, there are other pieces that are pure playfulness. He loves to elicit new ways of looking at the ordinary. Recycling, reusing, and refiguring ordinary material, he invites his audience to see everyday objects with a fresh and surprising perspective, learning something new about themselves and their place in the world.
Thonett is a unique artist, both in his solo work and in the collaborative pieces he makes with Tessa, his wife and close colleague. The pair have become pillars of the local art scene, often curating exhibitions and collections and encouraging artists at all stages of their careers. Tessa is to be acknowledged for helping Markus curate this exhibition. I can’t help wondering what is next for this power couple, and I doubt we will have to wait long to find out. S.Milne
Exhibitions and Commissions
Exhibitions and Commissions
May, June 2024 - Joint Exhibition w/ Tessa - 'Pulse' - downstairs at Barnaby's Lounge, Hastings, for 2 Months.
February, March 2024 - One Man Show - '4 Rooms Plus', at the Upstairs Gallery in St Andrews Mews, Hastings. For 2 Months.
September 2023 - 5th and final exhibition at BLAST for Coastal Currents Open Studio for one month, with Tessa, Alice Maylam, Elina Rudzite and Emma Harding.
August 2023 - Participation in Exhibition at Boomers Gallery, Tower Bridge, London
August 2023 - 4th exhibition at BLAST - 'Abstraction' - 2 weeks
August 2023 - 3rd Exhibition at BLAST gallery - 'Minutia' - 2 weeks
July 2023 - 2nd exhibition at BLAST - 'About Face' for 2 weeks
July 2023 - Took on a gallery in St Andrews Mews for 3 months. We called it BLAST - 1st exhibition 'Being Me' for 2 weeks
July 2023 - Participation at Zoom Arts members' Show - Stade Gallery, Hastings
July 2023 - Had work in The Dragon Bar, Hastings, for 3 weeks
June 2023 - Held 'Arty Party', showing all my work and Tessa's too at our home and studio.
May 2023 - Joint exhibition for 3 weeks, w/ Tessa Thonett and Alice Maylam - Zoom Gallery, St Leonards
May 2023 - Joint exhibition for 1 week, with Tessa Thonett and Alice Maylam - Electro Studios, St Leonards
April 2023 - For one month, Joint exhibition with Tessa Thonett and Alice Maylam - 1200 Postcards, Hastings
April 2023 - Participated in Members exhibition - Hastings Arts Forum - 2 weeks
Feb 2023 -Participation in the 'Arte Povera' show - Hastings Art Forum, St Leonards - 2 weeks
1st two weeks of October 2022 - A Joint show with Tessa Thonett at Hastings Arts Forum Gallery
Sept 2022 - Contribution to 'The Journey' Exhibition at Bannatyne Hotel, Hastings
August 2022 - Contribution to Members' show at the Hastings Arts Forum Gallery
July/Aug, 2022 - Joint show with Tessa Thonett - Bannatyne Hotel, Hastings
July 1,2,3rd - Participation in Parallax Art Fair, Kensington, London
Jan/Apr, 2022 - Participation in "Serenity", a show by PureArt - Bannatyne Hotel, Hastings
2021/2022, - (Sept - Jan) Participation in exhibition "Re-imagined", Hastings
2021 - Participation of online exhibition "Emergence" by ArtNetDLR
2021 - Participation in "PureArt360" live and digital exhibitions, Hastings
2021 - Included in the "PureArt360" magazine autumn 2021
2021 - YouTube interview Pure ART360 Ed 3: Interview with Markus Thonett and Lesley Samms - YouTube
2018 - "Facets" an Art Alley Exhibition - One person show - Unit 12, Winchester
2017 - Joint Exhibition with two other artists at an Art and Music Event - Shoreditch, London
2016 - Private exhibition - Kensington Church St, London
2015 - 'Poppy Glow' Private Commission Site Specific Installation
2014 - Joint exhibition - Allen Gallery - Alton
2004 - “Global Arts Project Exhibition” - Bifunde – Limbe, Cameroon, Africa
2001 - End of Year Exhibition, UTS - Upstate New York, USA
1999 - “Lost and Found” - One person show – Cobalt Café Gallery – Dublin
1997 - “Spectrum” – DIT Exhibition at Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), Dublin
1995 - One Person show – KAOS Gallery – Cologne
1994 - Eucrea State Reception – National Museum of Modern Art – Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
1994 - Exhibition of National Portrait Competition – Dublin
1994 - National Maritime Museum – Dun Laoghaire
1994 - Contribution to “The Great Book of Ireland”
1988 to 1991 - “Glass Pier Exhibition”– Dun Laoghaire Arts Week
1990 - KAOS Gallery – Cologne
1988 - Project Arts Centre – Dublin
1983 - One Person Show – Café Muckefuck (germ; translation Decaf. Coffee Café) – Cologne
1981 - Exposure” – Bank of Ireland – Dublin
1978 and 1979 - One Person shows – Café Muckefuck – Cologne
Collections
David G, Wales
Alan and Ruth P, Hampshire
Laurie D, St Leonards
John S, St Leonards
Biographical notes
1959 - Born in Germany to Artist couple, Will Thonett and Marianne Tralau.
1984 - Concluded Art studies at Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design (now IADT), Ireland.
1984 to 2000 - Teaching 3rd level sculpture and drawing at Dublin Institute of Technology.
Freelance artist also working in film, video and theatre.
2001- Taught post graduate course in applied art at U.T.S, Barrytown, USA.
2000 to 2004 - Various projects and life experiences, including marrying Tessa and living and working in Cameroon, SW Africa.
2004 - Returned to Europe, living and working in the UK.
2008-10 - Taught an introduction to sculpture at Wimbledon College of Art
2010 - Private Art Classes
2010 - Present - Freelance Artist