About

Known credits:
62
Birthday:
1888-04-06
Place of birth:
Berlin, Germany
Website:
N/A

Hans Richter

Overview

Richter's first contacts with modern art were in 1912 through the "Blaue Reiter" and in 1913 through the "Erster Deutscher Herbstsalon" gallery "Der Strum", in Berlin. In 1914 he was influenced by cubism. He contributed to the periodical Die Aktion in Berlin. His first exhibition was in Munich in 1916, and Die Aktion published as a special edition about him. In the same year he was wounded and discharged from the army and went to Zürich and joined the Dada movement.

Richter believed that the artist's duty was to be actively political, opposing war and supporting the revolution. His first abstract works were made in 1917. In 1918, he befriended Viking Eggeling, and the two experimented together with film. Richter was co-founder, in 1919, of the Association of Revolutionary Artists at Zürich. In the same year he created his first Prélude (an orchestration of a theme developed in eleven drawings). In 1920 he was a member of the November group in Berlin and contributed to the Dutch periodical De Stijl.

Throughout his career, he claimed that his 1921 film, Rhythmus 21, was the first abstract film ever created. This claim is not true: he was preceded by the Italian Futurist Bruno Corra and Arnaldo Ginna between 1911 and 1912 (as they report in the Futurist Manifesto of Cinema), as well as by fellow German artist Walter Ruttmann who produced Lichtspiel Opus 1 in 1920. Nevertheless, Richter's film Rhythmus 21 is considered an important early abstract film.

Richter moved from Switzerland to the United States in 1940 and became an American citizen. He taught in the Institute of Film Techniques at the City College of New York. While living in New York City, Richter directed two feature films, Dreams That Money Can Buy (1947) and 8 x 8: A Chess Sonata in 8 Movements (1957) in collaboration with Max Ernst, Jean Cocteau, Paul Bowles, Fernand Léger, Alexander Calder, Marcel Duchamp, and others, which was partially filmed on the lawn of his summer house in Southbury, Connecticut.

In 1957, he finished a film entitled Dadascope with original poems and prose spoken by their creators. After 1958, Richter spent parts of the year in Ascona and Connecticut and returned to painting. In 1963, he directed the short film "From the Circus to the Moon" on the American artist Alexander Calder.

Richter died in Minusio, Switzerland in 1976.

Known for

Acting
2011 Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film Actor Himself (archive footage) 59
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2003 A Visit To Hans Richter Actor himself N/A
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1986 He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life Actor Self (archive footage) 59
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1974 The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art Actor Self 59
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1973 Index – Hans Richter Actor N/A
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1973 Ich lebe in der Gegenwart - Versuch über Hans Richter Actor 59
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1969 Dada Actor N/A
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1969 Germany Dada Actor Himself N/A
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1968 Diaries, Notes, and Sketches Actor Self 59
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1955 Intermediate Landing in Paris Actor 59
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1929 The Storming of La Sarraz Actor General Tilly N/A
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1928 Ghosts Before Breakfast Actor 59
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Directing
1963 From the Circus to the Moon Directing Director N/A
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1961 Dadascope Directing Director 59
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1958 Passionate Pastime Directing Director N/A
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1957 8 x 8: A Chess-Sonata in 8 Movements Directing Director 58
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1955 Die Husaren kommen Directing Director N/A
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1947 Dreams That Money Can Buy Directing Director 59
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1939 The Stock Exchange as a Barometer of the Economic Situation Directing Director N/A
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1933 Metall Directing Director N/A
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1932 The New Apartment (Richter Studio Version) Directing Director N/A
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1931 Europa Radio Directing Director N/A
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1930 The New Apartment Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Neues Leben Directing Director N/A
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1929 Two Pence Magic Directing Director 58
Average
1929 Everything Turns, Everything Revolves Directing Director 59
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1929 Every Day Directing Director 59
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1928 Race Symphony Directing Director 59
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1928 Ghosts Before Breakfast Directing Director 59
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1928 Inflation Directing Director 59
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1926 Film Study Directing Director 58
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1923 Rhythm 23 Directing Director 58
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1921 Rhythm 21 Directing Director 58
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Writing
1957 8 x 8: A Chess-Sonata in 8 Movements Writing Writer 58
Average
1947 Dreams That Money Can Buy Writing Writer 59
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1947 Dreams That Money Can Buy Writing Dialogue 59
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1947 Dreams That Money Can Buy Writing Story 59
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1934 Der Springer von Pontresina Writing Writer N/A
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1934 Der Springer von Pontresina Writing Novel N/A
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1933 Mädels von heute Writing Novel N/A
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1933 Metall Writing Writer N/A
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1930 The New Apartment Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 Neues Leben Writing Screenplay N/A
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1929 Two Pence Magic Writing Writer 58
Average
1929 Everything Turns, Everything Revolves Writing Writer 59
Average
1929 Every Day Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Race Symphony Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Ghosts Before Breakfast Writing Writer 59
Average
1928 Inflation Writing Writer 59
Average
1926 Film Study Writing Writer 58
Average

Production
1947 Dreams That Money Can Buy Production Producer 59
Average
1928 Race Symphony Production Producer 59
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1928 Ghosts Before Breakfast Production Producer 59
Average
1928 Inflation Production Producer 59
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Sound
1929 Every Day Sound Sound 59
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Art
1928 Inflation Art Art Direction 59
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Crew
1961 Dadascope Crew Poem 59
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Editing
1961 Dadascope Editing Editor 59
Average
1929 Everything Turns, Everything Revolves Editing Editor 59
Average
1928 Race Symphony Editing Editor 59
Average
1928 Ghosts Before Breakfast Editing Editor 59
Average
1928 Inflation Editing Editor 59
Average