The Anarchist who could laugh about himself

"Tomi Ungerer know you have lists, not only through life, but also to Draw," writes Friedrich Dürrenmatt in his Preface to "Babylon". In this Apocalypse of the present, created in 1979, crossed the great cynic Ungerer with his diabolical critique of society the boundaries of decency, ethics and morality. He seemed all his life not to perceive. And dürrenmatt, the warning applies to the whole of his large Oevre: "The courage to look at the following pages, you, dear reader and friend of the arts now applying. Also, you're a comrade, a time. I know it's no Fun."

However, Ungerer himself, it was often hellish Fun. As a self-proclaimed Anarchist, but was able to laugh about himself, was the challenge of his life strategy. The Camouflage he used to hide behind which he could hide, to enjoy with childish pleasure the disturbing effect of his images, his stories and his public appearances.

Touché!

At a meeting with him, in the 90s, there were only two options on his verbal erotic welcome to respond to attack: outrage and counter-attack. Touché! Now be still red wine glass inconspicuously disappear and Ungerer told about his life in Ireland and his work as a picture book Illustrator and as a political, satirical, and erotic chronicler with the pen.

Already in the Childhood and origin were created the conditions, because Tomi was Ungerer, line 1931, in a time and in a country, the Alsace-born, the talented from the beginning, an artistic and sensitive child, could hardly provide a middle-class life. Particularly because of the early death of his father traumatized him. He experienced the occupation by the Germans, the war and the abomination, and told up to the end-of-life, as the Nazi-ideology dominated. In 2011, in an Interview: "I don't regret to be a part of this education. It was not my fault. Very young but I had an awareness of what is wrong. I'm fascinated, how the Evil is able to develop."

pictures: The Moralist with the sharpest line in the world

After the war, the difficult Phase of repatriation by France, the Tomi made Ungerer, a staunch Europeans, even of 2000, a member of the Council of Europe as "Ambassador for Childhood and education".

No Heal-world illustrations

already in his youth, he is considered to be insubordinate and unruly, with an obvious artistic talent and without Education and vocational qualification, and some adventurous detours as a 25-Year-old to New York. Seemingly Starving and desperate, they will Draw a therapy, coupled with an unbelievable work's sake. His first picture book, the pig story, "The Mellops go flying", which brought him success.

But, like all of his other picture books in the United States, criticism and prohibition, because the realistic-moral and at the same time a subversive narrative, which is also the horrors, seemed to be for children is not appropriate. He turns against the Heal the world-representations. "I have written for many years, no children's books, because there are so many titles and worse, and sweeter than the other. There is so much puschierschlauch-pussy, fish faschi," he said in an Interview.

No pornography, but erotic Satire

in Parallel, he is famous as the cartoonist of the "New York", with advertising and political campaigns against the Vietnam war. "Each drawing is a Blitzkrieg". The finally, it the McCarthy Era is brought to the Black list of the immigration authorities. His caricatures erotic obsessions, for example, in the Band "Fornicon" brought him the prohibitions and outraged feminist responses not only in the United States, which he blocked again and again: "I've never done pornography, but erotic Satire."

he was fascinated "hell brides, women's Boots, the horrors of staged witch's Sabbats a decadent, hard-boiled inhuman society," wrote the German children's book author Ute Blaich on him.

"My grave. an Elevator"

Finally, left Ungerer, 1971, the United States, to live with his family as a Farmer First in Canada and then in Ireland. Besides the cattle breeding and farm work signed and he has published more. His greatest success is the "song book", an example of this was how he plays with the seemingly Biedermeier Lich serene world of cunty, the Grey included.

The thought of the death of all his employees see him live, because his childhood experiences haunted him into old age as nightmares. In 1991, after three heart attacks and a severe cancer, he described his tomb: "I am standing my whole life, so I want to be buried standing. My grave will be a Elevator in A shaft in the ground, a Lift with a door and a gap for my eyes. You hit a button, then I get back to the top and can see over the plain of Alsace. This is total arrogance. I'm totally arrogant."

Now Tomi has died Ungerer in the home of his daughter in Ireland at the age of 87.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 09.02.2019, 17:02 PM