Carl Walter Liner (1914-1997)

Carl Walter Liner was born in the Swiss canton of Appenzell, near the border with Liechtenstein, in 1914. The son of famed artist Carl August Liner, the younger Liner enjoyed more critical and commercial renown for his landscapes.

In 1938 at the age of 24, he undertook what would become the first of several residencies in Paris. This particular sojourn helped to establish the trajectory of his career, as Paris would provide the setting in which he became acquainted with early twentieth century masters Maurice de Vlaminck, Georges Braque, Ossip Zadkine, Gérard Schneider, and Erich Heckel. The stylistic and technical influence of his contemporaries is clearly evident in Liner’s work from this point forward.

Unfortunately, the dawn of the 1940s would bring about a number of challenges for Liner. With the outbreak of war, Liner was mobilized for the Swiss Border Guard, and returned home to Switzerland in 1939. He remained on active duty until 1945, only to lose his father the following year. The death of the elder Liner left a profound impact on his son, who eventually made his way back to Paris in 1947 and embarked upon what would become a very successful series of nudes.

By his own admission, 1948 was a pivotal year in Liner’s career, as a particularly spiritual trip to Algeria would foment the emotions led to the beginning of his practice with abstraction. Henceforth, Liner would vacillate between the figurative and abstract, creating parallel oeuvres. His abstraction from the 1950s and 60s mirrored much of the work coming out of America at the time. Liner’s version yielded some incredibly dynamic work, typically incorporating the action of sweeping gestural movement and the masterful mixing of color - both on the surface and in the underlayer.

Liner would spend the next few decades traveling extensively, spending notable periods working in Switzerland, Italy, and France. A significant event occurred in 1958, when Liner purchased the Tour des Abbés in Fontvielle, a commune on the outskirts of Arles, the town in southern France most famously associated with Van Gogh. Originally commissioned in the 14th century by the Abbey of Montmajour to serve as both a residence and defensive garrison, the structure had been reduced to ruins by the time it came into Liner’s possession. He would spent a great deal of time and resources attempting to restore the towers, which he would subsequently donate to a local entity to maintain stewardship over his foundation.

Over the last few decades of his life, Liner spent the majority of his time in Switzerland, continuing to paint and exhibiting frequently. He was the subject of numerous group and solo exhibitions, mostly in Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and the United States.

Carl Walter Liner died in 1997 at the age of 83, in St. Gallen in his native canton of Appenzell. His works can be found in many private and institutional collections throughout Europe and North America.

Source: Michel Reymondin