Dieter Roth

"Roth had a remarkable command of language, at times displaying an almost overwhelming eloquence. Writing and poetry remained of great importance to him throughout his life. Few artists have been able to describe their own work with such precision as Dieter Roth. His poems rapidly developed into experimental art forms, while the titles of his visual works sometimes became poems in their own right. Still young and living in Solothurn, he initially embarked on a career in the visual arts. He painted, made prints, and created sculptures within the circle of the Zurich Concrete artists, which also included Max Bill. In the late 1950s, he published his first text-based works associated with Concrete Poetry in the form of artist’s books."

—Dr. Dirk Dobke