Wörner Verlag

As the world's only publisher exclusively specializing in products by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, we not only have an extensive range of exclusive Hundertwasser products, but also more than four decades of experience in the production of high-quality art prints. Our long-standing friendly collaboration with Hundertwasser and the design based on his specifications is the origin of our current product range and at the same time the driving force behind our commitment to meet his artistic standards in all our products. Hundertwasser himself always said that reproductions of his works should be even more beautiful than the originals, as they would be seen by far more people. In accordance with Hundertwasser's instructions, additional colors such as gold, silver, special red, matte black, and matte varnish are used, as well as foil embossing and UV coating, to create outstanding and individual premium art prints that are unique in appearance and quality.

THE COMPANY PHILOSOPHY

Quality, individuality, and fairness are the cornerstones of our company philosophy. Our goal is to produce outstanding and individual premium art prints that excite our customers in terms of both appearance and value. The highest quality is not only evident in our meticulously produced prints, but also in the way we handle your orders. Our individuality is not only based on our unique product range and our specialization in Hundertwasser products but also on the fact that, as a small, tradition-conscious, family-owned company, we still handle your inquiries, orders, and requests personally, flexibly, and quickly. By fairness, we mean a fair and sustainable approach towards our customers, suppliers, employees, and the environment. To protect the nature beloved by both Hundertwasser and us, we have been printing all our paper products on FSC-certified paper and, in some cases, climate-neutral, since 2012. We maintain a fair relationship with our employees and mostly regional suppliers, many of whom we have worked with for several decades. We are honest and generous with our customers. The result of our company philosophy is an outstanding product range in terms of quality, appearance, and individuality, as well as a competent, personal, and creative customer service.

THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY

Our current printing expertise can be traced back to the "Industriedruckerei Wörner" founded in the 1950s by Herrmann Wörner. In this company, Bernd Wörner, who still works in Wörner Verlag GmbH, trained as a typesetter. In 1987, Bernd Wörner founded the sole proprietorship "Bernd Wörner Druckerei und Verlag" in Rutesheim. Through his acquaintance and later friendship with Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his manager Joram Harel, as well as Hundertwasser's rapidly growing popularity, Bernd Wörner decided to focus more on Hundertwasser products. By the early 1990s, the business with Hundertwasser calendars was booming so much that the decision was made to no longer produce in-house but to specialize solely in publishing, offering external production partners know-how in printing and specific knowledge about the reproduction and printing requirements of Hundertwasser's works. When Gregor Wörner joined the company in 2009, marking the third generation, the publishing activities expanded, resulting in a broader product range, international availability of our products for retailers and private customers, and the organization of Hundertwasser exhibitions. Since 2013, the family business has operated as Wörner Verlag GmbH. Today, we define ourselves as a publisher that develops beautiful and high-quality Hundertwasser products and distributes them worldwide to retailers and private customers. In organizing Hundertwasser exhibitions, we aim to bring his work and legacy closer to the people.

THE PRODUCTS

Our assortement of Hundertwasser products includes calendars, art prints, art cards, bookmarks, pens, granolithographs, framed art prints, greeting cards, postcards, notebooks, address books, and many other products based on the works of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Almost all reproductions of Hundertwasser's works are printed in reverse. This was done at Hundertwasser's suggestion to open up a new dimension and to discover the images in a new light. Furthermore, this makes forgeries and imitations more difficult. Hundertwasser knew that the medium of print could not be equated with painting, which is applied in many layers with watercolor, tempera, or oil paints on paper or canvas with a brush. They are two different media, two different techniques that cannot be transferred or translated 1:1. Therefore, Hundertwasser never tried to turn a painting into a print but saw the painting as the starting point for a new print work. He recognized the advantages and possibilities of printing on paper and, with the help of advanced printing techniques, further developed, altered, and shaped the work, creating a new original. Since print products, unlike the original, which is a one-of-a-kind, are produced in editions and thus seen by many more people, it was of utmost importance to Hundertwasser that the works of print technique were even better and more impressive than the original paintings that served as the starting point. For this reason, he often instructed changes in colors or details of the works or to enhance the prints with special metal foil embossing or matte and glossy effects. Over the decades, Hundertwasser applied and co-developed many new techniques in the printing process. The matte black background was also a request from Hundertwasser. With this, he wanted his images to shine as if emerging from the darkness.

THE COLLECTION

Our enthusiasm for Hundertwasser’s work and our fascination with printing techniques are the origin of our collection of Hundertwasser original graphics. The etchings, Japanese color woodcuts, lithographs, screen prints, and mixed-media works in our collection testify to the diversity and technical sophistication of Hundertwasser's original graphics. Hundertwasser not only mastered classical graphic techniques but also expanded the printing processes by combining various methods, such as photo-lithography, screen printing, and embossing. Together with printers, he developed complex methods with numerous color variants, used metal foils, phosphorescent and fluorescent colors, and experimented with reflective glass dust coatings and electrostatic flocking. This gave his graphics enhanced luminosity and attractive color effects. In the simple multiplication of a graphic work, Hundertwasser saw the sterility of the straight line, which he fought against; therefore, many of his graphic editions consist of different color variants. His goal in the art of original graphics was to create a variety of different sheets within an edition, corresponding to the diversity found in nature. A representative selection from our collection has already been exhibited at the Residenzschloss in Ludwigsburg, the Hofgartensaal in Kempten, the Galerie im Marstall in Ahrensburg, the Kunsthaus Apolda, and other locations. Through regular acquisitions, we continuously expand our collection.