Hermann Fechenbach (1897 -1986) fled Germany for the UK in 1939, particularly associated with printmaking on Jewish themes. Like Schwitters he was interned in the UK compounding his persecution by the Nazis) , and went on hunger strike. Pathe News has a short and moving film of him working at lino-cuts of Nazi Criminals. There is evidence that several of the Genesis compositions date from as early as 1925 although the edition in my collection was printed in 1969.. The set, a selection of which appears above, are uneven in composition and technique, but at their best are powerful and resonant.
|