The author Rolf Bergmann reading at the gallery Isola Frankfurt, where the latest exhibition of works by Ernst Kolb took place from April till May 2015.

Who would even know about the extistence of the phantastic drawings of Ernst Kolb without Rolf Bergmann? The author and biographer Rolf Bergmann lived from 1942 to 2015. He has known Kolb personally and since his death in 1993 first dedicated him his commemorating book "The man with the plastic bag". He worked tirelessly for the memory of Kolb and took care of Kolbs estate. He found Kolbs diaries, written in the old German script „Sütterlin“ which is not common any more. To transmit the small handwritten notes in readable German was a true Sisiphus work that Rolf Bergmann has initiated. And the diaries has brought to light relevant unknown facts of the life of this hardly known outsider and loner. A new Kolb biography imposed itself and Rolf Bergmann took care of it. Art lovers have many reasons to be greatful to him. Rolf Bergmann promoted Kolb among museums years ago, for instance the "Collection de l'Art Brut" in Lausanne, but unfortunately at that time without success.

Kolb gave no titles to his drawings – and he did not sign them either. Rolf Bergmann offered Kolb drawings from the estate with highly inventif and striking titles for sale on Ebay. And now, the stone began to roll and the previously almost forgotten Kolb came into the focus of art lovers, an article appeared in "RAWVISION", the most important scientific journal, and now, the Collection de l‘Art Brut in Lausanne bought drawings for their collection. The museum has organised a Kolb exhibition in 2018, It is a pitty that Rolf Bergmann could not see the result of his engagement. Kolb is now considered as an important outsider artist.

As a collector of outsider art and great admirer of the unique drawings of Ernst Kolb, I am infinitely grateful to Rolf Bergmann that he made me discover this wonderful outsider artist. We were in contact via email and in 2013 I had the great pleasure to meet him in Mannheim where he gave a memorable reading of the brand new Kolb biography as part of an exhibition and a few events dedicated to Ernst Kolb 20 years after his death at a local culture club – I feel very sad about his disappearance of this nice person.

Erschienen 13. November 2013
Broschiert: 152 Seiten, Verlag: Wellhöfer, Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 3954281422 / ISBN-13: 978-3954281428, Größe und/oder Gewicht: 20,8 x 14,6 x 1,4 cm
Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung: 5.0 von 5 Sternen