Friday 27 November 2009
Lang ist die Kunst, flüchtig das Leben - Baudelaire
In my first and second year at the Art Academy, painting was part of our curriculum. We had a new German teacher, Tobias Magass, a passionate painter himself. He came from Israel where he had been teaching aswell. And I remember him telling he had to get used to students being so distant in Belgium.
He was very commited to his job and really wanted to get the best out of his students, he was the first teacher to tell me the truth about my work to my face. He was the first one who got me to open up in my work. He learned me to look at the world in a different way.
After these 2 years he went back to teach in Germany, but we kept in touch. We wrote letters about our inspirations, about travelling, about the difficulties of being an artist. When we were in the neighbourhood we visited each other's studio. He used to send me postcards of exhibitions he visited and thought I would like. But the most important of all, we exchanged pictures of our latest works and I noticed that he valued my opinion of his work as much as I valued his.
A couple of weeks ago I received a CD with lots of new paintings on it. He visited Brasil during the summer and started working on a new series over there, which I absolutely adored. I told him I thought this was his best work ever and he wrote back that he would start on a series of selfportraits soon.
Today I received a letter and as a true designer I noticed the black and white colour first, and thought to myself: I like this enveloppe. Then social conventions kicked in and I realised this could be bad news... and it really was.
You died on the 14th of november, totally unexpected. Your funeral took place last monday. And I have no idea what happened to you. Was it a car crash, a heart attack? In the end it doesn't really matter. You're gone and I realize how much your constant encouragements and letters meant to me.
I wonder what will happen with all your paintings. I really hope they will be treasured for as long as they exist. Like it is written on your funeral letter: Lang ist die Kunst, flüchtig das Leben. And this is the only way I have to say goodbye to you. I will never forget you...
In a matter of weeks I lost a very dear friend and I will give birth to my first child - the circle of life completed - I guess.
He was very commited to his job and really wanted to get the best out of his students, he was the first teacher to tell me the truth about my work to my face. He was the first one who got me to open up in my work. He learned me to look at the world in a different way.
After these 2 years he went back to teach in Germany, but we kept in touch. We wrote letters about our inspirations, about travelling, about the difficulties of being an artist. When we were in the neighbourhood we visited each other's studio. He used to send me postcards of exhibitions he visited and thought I would like. But the most important of all, we exchanged pictures of our latest works and I noticed that he valued my opinion of his work as much as I valued his.A couple of weeks ago I received a CD with lots of new paintings on it. He visited Brasil during the summer and started working on a new series over there, which I absolutely adored. I told him I thought this was his best work ever and he wrote back that he would start on a series of selfportraits soon.
Today I received a letter and as a true designer I noticed the black and white colour first, and thought to myself: I like this enveloppe. Then social conventions kicked in and I realised this could be bad news... and it really was.You died on the 14th of november, totally unexpected. Your funeral took place last monday. And I have no idea what happened to you. Was it a car crash, a heart attack? In the end it doesn't really matter. You're gone and I realize how much your constant encouragements and letters meant to me.
I wonder what will happen with all your paintings. I really hope they will be treasured for as long as they exist. Like it is written on your funeral letter: Lang ist die Kunst, flüchtig das Leben. And this is the only way I have to say goodbye to you. I will never forget you...
In a matter of weeks I lost a very dear friend and I will give birth to my first child - the circle of life completed - I guess.
2 comments
Comment
Thank you very much for your email. In just a couple of days after I posted this blog message I received an email from one of his friends in the United States, from his sister Christiane in Germany and from you in Israel. It is clear that Tobias touched a lot of souls every where he went and it gives me some piece of mind to know that he lives on in the memory of many people all over the world! He won't be forgotten...
Lotte
My name is Danit and I am from Israel. I knew Tobias for 30! years. Once he said to me that i am the only person that he knew for such a long period. Like you at first look, i liked the envelope. my mother gave it to me. you see we all in our family knew him. At the beginning i thought it was an invitation to a wedding. you see, no one writes any more but he still wrote...anyhow i am totaly but totaly shocked. i got the letter from his younger sister, i knew all More... his family. he died just one month aftrr his 50th birthday from a heart attack. it really hurt me very very deeply.
we met in a kibbuts in northern israel 30 years ago, i was 16 then he was older then me with 4 years. we exchanged hundreds of letters during the yaers , we visited each other despite the fact that my mother is an Aucshwitz survival. we travelled a lot together, and he came to live in israel because we were in love when we were younger. finally things turned out differntly but we stayed good friends. i talked with tobias last time about a year ago, telling me about his father"s death that hurt him so much. i also lost a friend and i am so very sorry.
if you want you can answer this letter, and if not i wish you all the very best with the birth of your first child.
yes , this is the circle of life.
Sorry for the bad spelling in english ...
Best regards
Danit