The Art of Rudy Rotter

The artist Rudy Rotter (American, 1913-2001) created a prodigious amount of artwork over four decades. His artistic production is an intense portrayal of the interconnectedness of humankind.

The artist’s vision is derived from Humanism. He employed elemental primal subjects including family groupings, Old Testament figures, birds and animals, and a host of other cultural archetypes.

The style of Rotter’s art is described as belonging to the Outsider and Self-Taught genres. The work is confident, intuitive, and viscerally abstract; a style he termed Primitive Expressionism.

At first glance the work appears to be naive and primitive. However, a sustained and focused viewing informs the viewer that the art is both sophisticated and complex.

Rotter obsessively created art daily for 45 years in an unheated 100-year-old warehouse in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. There he filled three large floors which became the now defunct Rudy Rotter’s Museum of Sculpture.

The bulk of the artwork is now being made available through a special gifting program. For more information contact [email protected].

Rahr-West Art Museum

Humanity Smiling On A Happy Sleeping Family
Magic markers on particle board – 12 x 30 in. – 1999

Larger image

See works @ …

– ArtworkArchive
– Instagram
– Pinterest
– Flickr (updated)

Resources

Revisiting | 2019 Essay
The consistent skill and intention of the artist
The Expertise of Rudy Rotter — from Early to Late Period | image

About : Who was Rudy Rotter
Wikipedia : The Artist as a Humanist
Exhibitions: CV – Exhibition List
Excerpt: A Portrait of the Artist – in his final year

Early to Late Period

Woman

Articles, Books & Exhibitions

Outsider Art Fair 2019 – Works on Paper | Booth #51 | NYC
Folk Art Messenger 2018 –A Warehouse Full of Dreams
Miracle of the Spirit 2005 – Stories from Wisconsin
Artist’s Letter 1995 – Memories
Let the Joy Come In – The Last Decade of Rudy’s Art

Instagram

Two Works by Rudy Rotter, self-taught artist — These two works show the extreme divergence of style seen throughout Rotter’s 45 years of art production.

View on Instagram

Videos

KCPT Kansas City, MO (2001)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2008)

Book

Rudy Rotter’s Spirit-Driven Art

The Odyssey and Evolution of an Artistic Vision

by Anton Rajer

Rudy Rotter's Spirit Driven Art book

PDF format – large file / slow load
Online Slide Deck – fast load / lower quality

“His creativity is driven by a passion to convey a feeling about humanity. In the sanctity of his Buffalo Street studio, it doesn’t matter who or what is outside the door. Inside, his mind and imagination take him to places most ordinary mortals will only begin to know by looking at his work.”

QuickTime Movies of Rudy Rotter
CLICK IMAGES TO VIEW
(recovered low-quality thumbnail videos)