Biography in the arts
I, Rudolf Friedrich Bliem, was born in Graz. My mother was a preschool teacher and my father worked at the opera house as the head of stage art. As of the 1950´s he continued to work as a freelance artist. This first took us to Switzerland, where he restored the murals of a church and then to Australia when I was 4,5 years old, and where I then grew up. Motivated by my father, I began to practice the skills of drawing and painting at an early age and in my teens had set my eyes on enrolling at art school.
Having learnt to play the classic guitar, in the wake of the folk movement, I co-founded a folk-type Austrian music group, the Misthaufen. This resulted in 3 years of intense, but successful work, with 5 singles, an LP and much press attention, before I left the group in 1972/73.
At this time I developed an interest in the relationship between colour and sound, synaesthesia and what has now become known as sonochromatism. Realizing that the pursuance of this subject matter required an education in the sciences I decided to enroll in a science and technology degree course at a Viennese university, at least long enough to pursue further this special interest. And, I continued with art education and training in an extramural fashion
and 1979 was very fortunate to be taken under the wing of Rudolf Macek. As a graduate of the Prager Academy of Fine Arts, he had established a notable career in Australia (member of the Royal Society of Arts), before moving to Austria. By this time I was exhibiting in a small gallery in Währing/Vienna.
Two years later I moved to England, where I soon found regular work as a science illustrator and cartoonist for several science journals and commercial graphic work. The increasing demand for this work soon provided a steady and sufficient income.
Partly due to my work for the science journals I began focusing on the representation of science motifs in paintings. Following a number of smaller exhibitions, in 1984 I was able to hold a larger exhibition on Science Art, titled "Art in vivo", at the Cambridge Central Library, which was the central public venue for exhibitions. The exhibition was organised and made possible by Dr. Charles and Caroline Kingdon. To my knowledge, this was also the first exhibition, at least in the UK, devoted to science art.
In 1987 I moved to the USA an interim period of only 3 years. Although I continued to work as an illustrator for a while, this "interim" opportunity evolved into a diversion into science and engineering and some 9 years in California and Upstate New York. And, although I continued to draw and paint, I gave up my work as illustrator and did not exhibit anymore.
"Interlude" in Science and Engineering
The following 25 years would be dedicated solely to science and engineering, in industry, the as an entrepreneur founding and running 2 companies, accompanied by a return to academia, conducting research, publishing and teaching. But that is a whole other story.
Return to the arts
Since dedicating myself once more to art I have been very fortunate in finding interest in my work and some exciting projects, especially in the area of robotics and AI.
Affiliations
Representing Gallery Contemplor Galerie Vienna https://contemplor.at/
Member of Centro Artistico Granada
Complemenary links:
https://www.sciencemeetsart.at/408friedrichbliem
https://contemplor.at/kuenstler-uebersicht/
https://thenode.biologists.com/sciart-profile-friedrich-bliem/science-art/
Early years as a musician
Having studied classical guitar while at highschool, as learning to play the harmonica and the "Saw", I joined two fellas in Vienna to form the german-language folk band "Misthaufen". The "Saw" is an instrument derived from the mechanical saw, but designed to be used as an instrument. It is brought to vibrate using a violin bow. Thus, the new group was started off with two guitars, a greek Bouzouki, a "saw", a harmonica and a singer, which led to the band´s idiosyncratic sound and to a very successful 3 years, at which point I left the group late 1972 to concentrate on art, in preparation for art school (see a selection of newsclips and recordings below).
Top foto from left to right: group founders Momo, Alf and myself
Our first longplay record.
Bottom foto from left to right: Peter (bass guitar), Alf (song, guitar/accompany), Momo (bouzouki, melody guitar), myself (guitar/accompany/melody, harmonica, saw), Elk (violin), Wolfgang (guitar/melody)
