“ I‘m using oil paints for my canvas paintings , because I like to paint in variations of the traditional Flemish technique. I keep my color palette usually very limited in diffuse sepia tones with a little hint of color, detectable sometimes . Some time ago I came across a tiny photo in The New Yorker Magazine, shot by a Magnum photographer in 1941. I saw it and needed to paint it and interpret it, in oil and on a big scale, not really trying to copy it, but to try to capture it's spirit and magic. It took me three years to finish it and it was the first one of this series of sepia paintings that I’m working on to this day. Their source of inspiration could be antique photos I find in obscure old books or scenes that I come across, from an old machine shop in Louisiana or a corn silo somewhere in Texas... My paintings take time,
I work in glazing technique and just like to pay attention to details that nobody else might even notice".
I work in glazing technique and just like to pay attention to details that nobody else might even notice".
Reto Messmer was born in 1955 in a small town near Zurich in Switzerland into an artistic family His father , Rico Messmer was a sculptor working in stone and bronze - a few of his works can still be seen in public places in Zurich. Reto grew up in Switzerland, went to the University of Zurich to study literature and art history , but dropped out after a few semesters . He traveled throughout Europe and lived for a while in the Netherlands, where he attended the Freie Art Academy in De Hague to study painting and drawing . He then traveled to the USA, working on crab - and halibut boats in Alaska for a while , before returning to Switzerland via New Mexico , where he did an apprenticeship as restorer, mostly of paintings and murals, and also learned the basics of working in stone from his dad. After his father's passing Reto took over his studio on the shore of the lake of Zurich and started to work full time as a painter - muralist and sculptor . Pretty quickly he started to make a name for himself and was able to make a living as an artist. He had many solo exhibitions in galleries in Switzerland and got commissioned to do many murals and paintings, most notably :
- A mural in the private home of H. Buehrle, owner of one of the most prestigious impressionist collections in Europe and a Museum in Zurich .
- A commission for a large sculpture installation in the office headquarters of Migros , the countries largest retailer
- A commission for a huge outdoor mural ( at the time the biggest canvas painting in Europe ), opposite the stockmarket exchange in Zurich .
His work can also be found in many private collections in Switzerland and Germany . In 1994 he immigrated with his wife and son to Taos, New Mexico , where he has been working in and out of his studio in el Rito , north of Taos ever since. Reto divides his time between sculpture and painting , having painted countless murals mostly in New Mexico, Florida and Colorado , as well as painting commissions for private clients. He had numerous solo shows in galleries in New Mexico and also participated in group shows, most notably the Orale show at the Harwood museum in Taos . Currently Reto Messmer is represented by the Envision Gallery and Greg Moon Gallery in Taos,NM , the Chere Waters Gallery in Creede,CO and The T.Gysin Connection and Jedlitschka Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland
- A mural in the private home of H. Buehrle, owner of one of the most prestigious impressionist collections in Europe and a Museum in Zurich .
- A commission for a large sculpture installation in the office headquarters of Migros , the countries largest retailer
- A commission for a huge outdoor mural ( at the time the biggest canvas painting in Europe ), opposite the stockmarket exchange in Zurich .
His work can also be found in many private collections in Switzerland and Germany . In 1994 he immigrated with his wife and son to Taos, New Mexico , where he has been working in and out of his studio in el Rito , north of Taos ever since. Reto divides his time between sculpture and painting , having painted countless murals mostly in New Mexico, Florida and Colorado , as well as painting commissions for private clients. He had numerous solo shows in galleries in New Mexico and also participated in group shows, most notably the Orale show at the Harwood museum in Taos . Currently Reto Messmer is represented by the Envision Gallery and Greg Moon Gallery in Taos,NM , the Chere Waters Gallery in Creede,CO and The T.Gysin Connection and Jedlitschka Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland