SELECTION OF WORKS FROM 2001 TO 2004
Alfons Bürgler was born in Illgau, Switzerland in 1936 and attended public schools in Illgau and
Disentis. After pursuing various professions, he began courses in drawing, painting and sculpture
at the School of Art and Design in Lucerne and the New Art School in Zurich. He chose painting as
his field of concentration and his first group-show took place in 1969. The following years were
devoted to developing and refining his skills and style and included study trips to North Africa, the
USA and various European countries. Up until 1990 Alfons Bürgler concentrated on realistic paint-
ing.
A move to abstraction began in 1991 that led to a long period of non-representational painting,
culminating in an important discovery in 1998. One day, while sketching pairs of human figures on
scraps of paper, he pasted them in a row. At once fascinated by this idea, he painted a similar series
for the first time on canvas. This chance experience brought about a lasting change in his style. His
new works, in which the repetition is clearly visible, incorporate signs and figures in movement,
and, because of their serial arrangement, are also remindful of hieroglyphics. Alfons Bürgler calls
this style of painting «Körperschriften» and with this, has created a new artistic imagery. In 2001 he
was appointed artist in residence for 12 months by the community of Hünenberg, Switzerland,
which provided him with financial support and a studio for his work for them.
Beginning in 1969 Alfons Bürgler has exhibited regularly in group and one-man shows at the Art
Museum of Lucerne, the Kunstszene in Schwyz and various galleries in Switzerland and abroad.
Since 1985 he has led several art projects for the Kunstszene in Schwyz, the 700th centennial cele-
brations of Switzerland and others and has taught courses for painting and drawing. He was a co-
curator of exhibits of artists from the Canton of Schwyz for the Forum of Swiss History and is a mem-
ber of the board of the Artists’ Association of the Canton of Schwyz. An exhaustive monograph was
published by Triner in 2000 with 221 color reproductions of his early works as well as a biography
and bibliography. His works can be found in many public and private collections. Alfons Bürgler lives
and works in Steinen, Switzerland. During the summer he works in his summer studio in Arth-
Goldau, Switzerland.
