Peter Dressler

Peter Dressler (17 September 1942 – 15 September 2013) was an Austrian photographer and academic teacher.

Life and work Peter Dressler was born in Brașov, Romania on 17 September 1942. He created his first photographic works in the 1960s. After studying painting from 1966 to 1971 at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under Gustav Hessing, he graduated with a diploma. Afterwards, he stayed at the academy as a teacher from 1972 to 2008, initially as a lecturer under Hessing, and from 2001 on as an assistant professor under Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Hubert Schmalix and Amelie von Wulffen. he had a significant influence on Austrian Photography from the 1970s onwards. Often he used spaces of human interaction for locations: public spaces (like "Kunsthistorisches Museum" for the series "With Great Interest", 1989), semi-public like shops and hotel rooms ("Tangible Beauty", 1992 and "Business Class", 1996) and private spaces ("Lasting Values", 1997). These locations he often found by chance. He staged temporary interventions for his photographs and often performed himself – forever alone

Dressler was buried at Mauer Cemetery (group 41, row 1, number 1) in Vienna. Works by Dressler are part of the collections of Albertina, Museum der Moderne Salzburg and the collection of the Austrian state, the artistic estate is located at Fotohof archive. KunstHausWien‚ presented the first posthumous retrospective of Peter Dressler's work in 2016.

Solo exhibitions (selection) 1983: Peter Dressler, Forum Stadtpark, Graz 1986: Mit großem Interesse, Galerie Johannes Faber, Vienna 1989: Zwischenspiel, Fotohof, Salzburg 1990: With Great Interest, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne 2002: Tie Break, Fotohof, Salzburg 2003: In unmittelbarer Nähe, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna 2006: Greifbare Schönheit, Camera Austria at Kunsthaus Graz 2010: Spannungsunterbrechung, KÖR Window at Kunsthalle Wien public space karlsplatz 2013: Galerie Eboran, Salzburg 2016: Retrospective at KunstHausWien, Vienna