Art in chess and Chess in the art

Elke Rehder is a trained artist and active member of a number of international art and culture associations. She was born in 1953 in Hamburg, Germany. Since 1983 she had several single exhibitions in Germany and other European countries and also obtained four art awards for her work. Elke Rehder's art exhibitions show a wide range of different art work. Because of her extensive education she experimented with several different techniques. Here is a short explanation of the techniques used by Elke Rehder in her chess art:

	Serigraphy This printmaking is also known as screen printing or silkscreen. Elke Rehder used this printing technique from 1990 to 1999 for her colorful large posters like "Blue Dancer Chess" or the chess prints "Knight takes Rook"
Chess - Knight takes rook variant
	Woodcut Formerly known as Xylography - is a relief printing, a technique in which an image is carved into the surface of a wooden plate. Since the founding of the edition ELKE REHDER PRESSE in 1993 the artist uses this letterpress printing for the illustration of her small press prints. She published several books and graphic portfolios about chess, like The Royal Game  ( Chess Story, Schachnovelle ) by Stefan Zweig.
The chess game
	Etching With a strong acid or a hard needle (drypoint, etching) a metal surface is processed. This intaglio method is the most important technology for Elke Rehder. Since 1991, numerous etchings for graphic portfolios and artists books on chess were printed, such as the bibliophile small press edition "Chess" by Slawomir Mrozek.
Chess - Front of pawns
	Lithography is a printing process in which Elke Rehder uses a stone with a completely smooth surface. The technique was invented by Alois Senefelder. Elke Rehder used this method not only to illustrate artist's books, but also for graphic art, such as "Chess - The Opening" and "Chess - Three Pawns".
Chess - The opening
	Oil and acrylic paintings For oil paintings, the artist used since 1988 pigment-rich colors and high-quality screens. Acrylic is a fast-drying color and Elke Rehder uses acrylic paint for her large paintings, for example for the about 3 meters high chess painting "Pawns forward and never back."
Chess - Pawns threaten the king
	Mixed media on paper Watercolor (US) or Watercolour (UK) is a medium which Elke Rehder sometimes uses in combination with pastel and charcoal drawing. This technique is often specified as "Mixed Media". Many chess paintings are made in this technique.
Chess - The lagging pawn
	Pen and ink drawing Elke Rehder created many chess drawings mixed with watercolor. For further pictures please move to the button "Schach Zeichnungen" = Chess Drawings
Chess - Two pawns fighting
	Charcoal drawing mostly mixed with watercolor painting. More drawings you'll find under the button "Schach Zeichnungen" = Chess Drawings.
Chess - The Fight III
	Bronze sculptures Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures. Elke Rehder used this material since 1991 for her sculptures in the lost wax casting technique.
Man (pawn) with spear
	Installation art uses sculptural materials and other media to modify a particular space. Installation art is not necessarily confined to gallery spaces. Elke Rehder has made some room installations in galleries, in the castle Reinbek, the house of artists in Cuxhaven, the Federal Academy in Wolfenbüttel and the Federal Ministry for economics in Bonn. All these room installations where to the topic chess.
Chess installation - PaperArt Hamburg
	Land art Earthworks, or Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the United States. Elke Rehder has made some installations in the North Sea near Cuxhaven and on the banks of the river elbe, using large paper objects in this work about chess.
Chess in mudflat
	Paper Art Objects After her Land art excursions Elke Rehder startet to built paper objects. A good example for this are the four different chessbords of handmade paper.
Chess - paper art object by Elke Rehder

Chess - The Royal Game

has been a dominant subject in Elke Rehder's work for many years. The artist is fascinated by chess not only as a game but as a traditional fight in ritual form with all its strategy, tactics, hierarchy and symbols. If one thinks about these aspects of chess there are many different points of view. It is the outlook of an artist and not a chess players sportive view.

In her paintings and graphic work chessmen often appear. Once she observed an open air game of chess in a park with people standing on the chequered squares. That was the moment Elke Rehder obtained the impulse of looking behind what was happening. She compares the situation of the chessmen, their position on the chess board and their strategic action with our everyday life. Elke Rehder's chessmen become independent and play their own game.

The chess-players each side of the board are not the topic of her art. This explains her relation to the short story of Slawomir Mrozek about living chess. In his story the chessmen play their own game without the players. Like the figures in Elke Rehder's pictures do. So she made an artist's book about the story.

Since 1993 Elke Rehder is publishing artists books and small press books in limited edition. The books are illustrated with original etchings, woodcuts and lithographs. Her works are collected by numerous libraries and museums. Collectors of rare books from all over the world pursue their new publications with interest.

Chess painting - The queen in the thick of the action	Chess painting - Pawns barrier

Her art on chess allows expression of what words and arguments often are unable to convey. With an inexhaustible palette of views and experiences she is able to stimulate not only chess players; she likes to emphasise what people generally will not recognize in a game. She turns our attention in new directions aside from habitual ways thereby looking at reality differently.

Art is not easy to describe with words, you have to look at. So if you do not want to wait until her next exhibition you now have the opportunity to view Elke Rehders paintings and graphic art on her specific websites in the World Wide Web.

Some examples of Elke Rehder's artists books on chess

Slawomir Mrozek - Schach ( Chess )

Short story about living chess. In this story the chessmen are going to play their own game without the chess-player, like the figures in this illustrations. The artist's book containes six signed color etchings by Elke Rehder. Luxury bookbinding by Christian Zwang, Hamburg. Full goat-leather binding. Slipcase. 24 pages, 25 x 25 cm. 1994. 30 numbered and signed copies. This is an extraordinary book bound in fine leather made by the famous bookbinder Christian Zwang. The book contents 6 colour etchings by Elke Rehder. All etchings are titled, numbered and signed.

Stefan Zweig - Schachnovelle ( Chess Story, The Royal Game )

Portfolio with 6 colour woodcuts by Elke Rehder to the novel The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig. Each woodcut is printed by hand on fine dosabiki masachi Japanese paper and numbered and signed by the artist. Format 24 x 18 cm. 1996. Limited edition of 36 copies.

Elke Rehder - Schachanalogie ( Chess Analogy )

The artist book contents original hand-written poems and 4 signed etchings by Elke Rehder. The etchings and the poems are the artist's expression to show the analogy between chess and the existing social regulations. Format 30 x 27,5 cm. 1994. Limited edition of 40 copies.

Elke Rehder - Schach Grafikmappe I ( Chess graphic portfolio I )

Portfolio with 6 etchings by Elke Rehder, all titled, numbered and signed. Format 24 x 18 cm. 1995. Limited edition of 36 copies.

Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel - Das Schachspiel  ( The Game of Chess )

The artist book contents a poem from the 18th century and 7 woodcuts by Elke Rehder. Letter type printing in Garamond on fine mould paper. Format 26,8 x 19,7 cm. 1997. Limited edition of 40 copies and a special edition of 20 copies.

Special edition no. 1 - 20. Handbound half leather book with two additional woodcuts on the boards. All woodcuts hand coloured.

Ernst Juenger - Rehburger Reminiszenzen ( Chess Reflections )

Autobiographical text with 11 woodcuts. The book is made by hand in half-leather with additional woodcuts on the cover and on the flying leaves. Letter type printing in Didot-Antiqua. Typesetting by Offizin Haag-Drugulin in Leipzig. Printed on fine mould paper. Format 25 x 35 cm. 1998. Limited edition of 100 copies. 

Elke Rehder - Schach-Gespraeche mit Figuren ( chess-talks with chessmen )

Graphik suite with 6 numbered and signed hand-coloured woodcuts by Elke Rehder. A fictive dialog with the chessmen on the chess board. 8 pages text. Text by Elke Rehder in first edition. Format 18 x 24 cm. 1999. 50 numbered and signed copies.

Elke Rehder - Schach II ( Holzgeburten ) ( Chess graphic portfolio II )

Cassette with 8 numbered and signed color woodcuts by Elke Rehder and one woodcut on the front board. Text brochure 32 pages with illustrations from the artist's sketchbook in facsimile. First edition. Format 38 x 49 cm. 2000. 80 numbered and signed copies.

Elke Rehder - Schach - Ein Gesellschaftsspiel ( Chess - a parlor game )

Artists book with handwritten poems and 4 etchings in limited edition. Handcrafted by Elke Rehder with a paper object on the front cover. 24 pages. Format 20 x 27 cm. 1993. 20 numbered and signed copies.

Roy Rasmussen - Heine, Hamburg und die Frauen ( Heinrich Heine, Hamburg and the women )

Artist book with 4 coloured drawings. 42 pages with pictures in colour, 4 original drawings by Elke Rehder und 12 pages from a letter by Heinrich Heine from 27. October 1816 to his friend Christian Sethe. Painted softcover with dust jacket. Format 17 x 28 cm. 2006. 30 numbered and signed copies.

Roy Rasmussen - Schach dem Koenig oder Heinrich Heine auf Helgoland und die Sage von Rodulf und Rumetrud der Gebrueder Grimm
( Check the King or Heinrich Heine on the Isle of Helgoland and the Legend of Rodulf and Rumetrud of the Brothers Grimm )

Artist book with 4 coloured drawings by Elke Rehder. 42 pages with pictures in colour. Handmade brochure with painted cover boards. Format 15 x 21 cm. 2006. 30 numbered and signed copies.