BORN: HANOVER, GERMANY

Dieter Roth (1930–1998) was a Swiss artist best known for his artist's books, editioned prints, sculptures, and works made of found materials. Roth eschewed traditional artistic procedures, the artist regularly made use of non-art mediums such as chocolate, cheese, sausage, and banana to create unique, fugitive works.

The dark undertone and furious, obsessive energy of his work ultimately separated him from many of the more lighthearted Fluxus artists. Perhaps despite himself, he was a fluent draftsman and expert printmaker, and his drawings and prints contained his wild energy within peculiarly virtuosic forms. Compared to the innumerable self-described artists of the last several decades who faked their way through his sort of work, Mr. Roth was the genuine item.

Dieter Roth created the majority of the works in the exhibition in his own studio, seizing control of most aspects of the creative and publishing process. With this hands-on, do-it-yourself approach, Roth created unique books, prints, and editions challenging conventional genres; having influenced many artists over the last four decades, these works are arguably becoming his most significant contributions to art history.