Alf Bayrle

Alf Bayrle (also: Alf Singer-Bayrle; December 15, 1900 in Biberach an der Riss – September 11, 1982 in Rotthalmünster), was a German painter, printmaker and sculptor

After his military service and participation in the First World War Bayrle studied from 1918 to 1922 at the Stuttgart Academy at the classes of Adolf Hölzel, Robert Poetzelberger, Gottfried Graf, Arnold Waldschmidt and at the School of Applied Arts in classes of Heinrich and Friedrich Schneidler. That time was the beginning of his friendship with Willi Baumeister and Oskar Schlemmer. In Schlemmer's Triadic Ballet, he participated later and organized the Paris show in 1932.

In 1922 he moved to Munich and continued his studies until 1925. There he studied at Franz von Stuck at the Academy, Hans Hofmann at the School of Fine Arts and took additional lessons from Karl Christian Kehrer and Heinrich Wölfflin at the University. In 1923 and 1924 as a student in Munich he wrote about "the lack of understanding of modern art".

In 1926 he moved to Paris and worked there as a painter, at the same time he also studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière (at Othon Friesz and André Lhote). His friends in Paris at that time included Colette, André Derain, Rene Jurdain, Paul Poiret, Maurice Ravel. Bayrle followed the invitation of Rene Jurdain to share his studio space, from 1928 to 1934, however, he spent in summertime months in St. Tropez at Madame Aude. In Paris he was in contact with Giorgio de Chirico, Jean Cocteau, Le Corbusier, Raoul Dufy, Aristide Maillol, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Although an active and recognized member of the Parisian art scene his exhibitions there are poorly documented and researched today. In 1927, he had together with Arno Breker an exhibition, who also lived in Paris.

In 1934 the Institute of Morphology, run by Leo Frobenius of the University of Frankfurt offered him a position as an artist. The institute offered Bayrle the opportunity to paint without the fear of persecution of the regime. In the same year Frobenius and Bayrle made their first expedition to Africa. Two years later their book about South Abessinia was published which contains 40 plates in photogravure prints of drawings of Alf Bayrle. Until today these drawings, as well as the unpublished have a great importance from a scientific, ethnographic and artistic point of view. Some other expeditions were made to the South of France, Spain, Libya and Ethiopia.

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