I am a technical art historian with a specialisation in modern and contemporary painting practice. I teach the MA Special Option in History of Art “Painters at Work: Material Reinventions of a Medium, 1945 to Now” (not running in 2024/25, while I am on research leave) as well as on the BA History of Art and MA Conservation of Easel Paintings.
I hold a BA in art history from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit盲t, Munich (1994), a Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from The 91制片厂 (1997) and a PhD in art technology from Technische Universit盲t M眉nchen (2004). Before joining The 91制片厂 in 2018, I worked as a researcher, paintings conservator and curator: I was a Senior Research Specialist and co-curator at The Getty, Los Angeles (2015-17) and a paintings conservator at Tate, London (2013-14), the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2003-05), The Menil Collection, Houston (1998-2000), and at the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge (1997-98). My curatorial and research experiences include collection management for private collectors in Europe, as well as appointments/grants as a Getty Conservation Guest Scholar (2021), Caroline Villers Research Fellow in Technical Art History at The 91制片厂 (2012-13), Associate Curator at Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2011-12), Assistant Fine Arts Director at the German Academy Villa Massimo, Rome (2009-10), and Postdoc Research Fellow at Bibliotheca Hertziana, Max-Planck-Institut f眉r Kunstgeschichte, Rome (2005-7).
My publications explore the relationship between an artist鈥檚 subject, materials, and methods, for which I often interview artists. Current research focuses on the Italian sculptor Pino Pascali (Fondazione Prada, 2024) and Chilean abstract painters. I am the author of monographs on (Blinky) Palermo and Lucio Fontana, the co-editor and author of books on US-American sculpture and drawing from the 1960s as well as Latin American art, and have written essays on the painting practices of a variety of contemporary European, US- and Latin American artists. A new book project for Getty Publications examines the role of tools in contemporary painting and will include artists from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the US, and Zimbabwe.
I belong to The 91制片厂’s Centre for American Art, the research cluster Technical Art History and the Sculptural Processes Group. I am also Editorial Board Member of Woman’s Art Journal. Professor Jo Applin and I co-host the yearly .
I welcome PhD applications from candidates interested in pursuing research in painting practices of modern and contemporary artists.
Research interests
- Modern and contemporary painting practice
- Modern and contemporary sculpture
- The relationship between science, industry, and art
- Concepts of creativity
- Materiality in historical perspective
- Migration studies
- Material culture
Publications
Books
Lucio Fontana: The Artist鈥檚 Materials, Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2012
The Act of Creating Space: Lucio Fontana, Technische Universit盲t M眉nchen, Anton Siegl Verlag, M眉nchen 2008
Palermo: Inside His Images, Technische Universit盲t M眉nchen, Anton Siegl Verlag, M眉nchen 2004
Edited Books
Purity Is a Myth: The Materiality of Concrete Art from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, Z. Gilbert, P. Gottschaller, T. Learner and A. Perchuk (eds.), Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2021
P. Gottschaller, A. Le Blanc,聽Making Art Concrete: Works from Argentina and Brazil in the Colecci贸n Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, P. Gottschaller, A. Le Blanc, Z. Gilbert, T. Learner, A. Perchuk (eds.), exh. cat. Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2017
Der Raum der Linie. Amerikanische Zeichnungen und Skulpturen ab 1960, M. Semff, C. Thierolf, A. Klar with P. Gottschaller and B. Heid (eds.), exh. cat. Staatliche Graphische Sammlung/Pinakothek der Moderne, M眉nchen 2011
Book Chapters
“Painting, Fast and Slow,” in: Painting, Fast and Slow. Malerei auf Papier der Sammlung Michalke, exh. cat. Metropol Kunstraum, Munich 2024, 4-14 (German/English)
“Ruins on Faux Fur: Materiality in Pino Pascali, 1964-68,” in: Pino Pascali, M. Godfrey (ed.), exh. cat. Fondazione Prada, Milan 2024 [in print, English/Italian]
“Eleonore Koch and the Brazilian Egg Tempera Revival,” in: Eleonore Koch, F. Pitta (ed.), Almeida e Dale Galeria de Arte, S茫o Paulo 2024 [in print]
“Peter Joseph: Balancing The World on Two Nails,” in: Peter Joseph, A. Bacon (ed.), Lisson Gallery, London and New York 2024 [forthcoming]
“Materiality and Migration in Latin American Modernism: Caracas to Buenos Aires, 1944-50,” in: Between Point Zero and the Iron Curtain: International Cooperation in Art, E. Forgacs (ed.), Brill, Leiden 2024 [in print]
“Moyna Flannigan”, “Arturo Herrera”, and “Nyugen E. Smith,” in: Vitamin C+ Collage in Contemporary Art, R. Morrill (ed.), Phaidon Press, London 2023, 82-83; 104-107; 250-253
“Tess Jaray in conversation with Pia Gottschaller,” in: Tess Jaray. For Your Eyes Only, exh. cat. Karsten Schubert London, London 2023, 1-9
鈥淎spekte von Zeitlichkeit und Verg盲nglichkeit im Werk von Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, Liz Deschenes, Cy Twombly und Christian Bonnefoi,鈥 in: Patina. Spuren der Vergangenheit in der Kunst der Gegenwart, I. Glanzer and A. Matyssek (eds.), Edition Metzel, M眉nchen 2023, 47-65
“Crusader, Eden and Madame Renee,” in: Beat Zoderer. The London Soap Opera, exh. cat. Bartha Contemporary, London 2022, 4-8
“Your Trash is My Treasure,” in: Out Of Order. The Collages of Louise Nevelson, Y. Etgar (ed.), Fondazione Marconi and Mousse Publishing, Milan 2022, 37-53
“Art to Life,聽Industry to Art,” in: Geraldo de Barros – Imagin谩rio, Constru莽茫o e Mem贸ria, L. Mammi and M. Favre (eds.), exh. cat. Instituto Ita煤 Cultural, S茫o Paulo 2022, 238-239 (Portuguese), 388-389 (English)
“Sacilotto’s ABC S茫o Paulo,” in: Sacilotto, D. Mattar and G. P茅rez-Barreiro (eds.), Almeida e Dale Galeria de Arte, Cosac Naify and Cecilia Brunson Projects, S茫o Paulo and London 2021, 29-43 (English/Portuguese)
P. Gottschaller, T. Learner and J. Mazurek, 鈥淗ermelindo Fiaminghi鈥檚 Quadrature of the Circle between 1954 and 1959: From Concrete Enamel to Giotto鈥檚 Tempera,鈥 in:聽Purity Is a Myth: The Materiality of Concrete Art from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, Z. Gilbert, P. Gottschaller, T. Learner and A. Perchuk (eds.), Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2021,105-123
I. Alonso, P. Gottschaller, C. C. Marsh, A. Perchuk and L. Lee, 鈥淓nergy, Legibility, Purity: Color in Argentine Concrete Art,鈥 in:聽Purity Is a Myth: The Materiality of Concrete Art from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, Z. Gilbert, P. Gottschaller, T. Learner and A. Perchuk (eds.), Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2021, 125-146
鈥淭he Migration of Concretist Thought between Latin America and Europe: Max Bill, K谩zm茅r Fej茅r, Tom谩s Maldonado and Georges Vantongerloo,鈥 in:聽Migrants: Art, Artists, Materials and Ideas Crossing Borders, L. Wrapson, V. Sutcliffe, S. Woodcock and S. Bucklow (eds.), Archetype Publications in association with the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge, London 2019, 44-58
鈥淟ooking through the Glass, and What Fontana Found There,鈥 in:聽Lucio Fontana: On The Threshold, I. Candela (ed.), exh. cat. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2019, 67-73 (English/Spanish)
鈥淢aking Concrete Art,鈥 in: P. Gottschaller, A. Le Blanc,聽Making Art Concrete: Works from Argentina and Brazil in the Colecci贸n Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, P. Gottschaller, A. Le Blanc, Z. Gilbert, T. Learner, A. Perchuk (eds.), exh. cat. Getty Publications, Los Angeles 2017, 24-59
And Then Again. A conversation between Pia Gottschaller and Dan Sturgis in his studio, exh. cat. Noshowspace, London 2014, unpag.
鈥淪trange Things Can Happen鈥擠avid Reed in conversation with Pia Gottschaller,鈥 in:聽Heart of Glass. David Reed鈥擥em盲lde und Zeichnungen聽1967-2012, exh. cat. Kunstmuseum Bonn, S. Berg and C. Schreier (eds.), Snoeck, K枚ln 2012, 60-68 (English), 89-112 (German)
鈥淭abula Rasa 1967,鈥 in:聽Der Raum der Linie. Amerikanische Zeichnungen und Skulpturen ab 1960, exh. cat. Staatliche Graphische Sammlung/Pinakothek der Moderne, M. Semff, C. Thierolf, A. Klar with P. Gottschaller and B. Heid (eds.), M眉nchen 2011, 29-35
鈥淕espr盲ch mit dem K眉nstler Peter Soriano,鈥 in:聽Der Raum der Linie. Amerikanische Zeichnungen und Skulpturen ab 1960, exh. cat. Staatliche Graphische Sammlung/Pinakothek der Moderne, M. Semff, C. Thierolf, A. Klar with P. Gottschaller and B. Heid (eds.), M眉nchen 2011, 14-18
鈥淕espr盲ch mit dem Sammler,鈥 in:聽Der Raum der Linie. Amerikanische Zeichnungen und Skulpturen ab 1960, exh. cat. Staatliche Graphische Sammlung/Pinakothek der Moderne, M. Semff, C. Thierolf, A. Klar with P. Gottschaller and B. Heid (eds.), M眉nchen 2011, 42-45
鈥淚l mito del Vinavil,鈥 in:聽Il confine evanescente. Arte Italiana聽1960-2010, G. Guercio and A. Mattirolo (eds.), Maxxi Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo, Roma, Mondadori Electa, Milano 2010, 309-341
鈥淭he Rothko Chapel: Towards the Infinite,鈥 in:聽Art and Activism: Projects of John and Dominique de Menil, J. Helfenstein and L. Schipsi (eds.), The Menil Collection/Yale University Press, Houston and New Haven 2010, 139-147
鈥淭he Diversity of One,鈥 in:聽Palermo. To the People of New York City, L. Cooke and K. Kelly (eds.), Dia Art Foundation, New York, and Richter Verlag, D眉sseldorf 2009, 132-143 (English/German)
鈥溾榁agaries and Uncertainties鈥 in Rothko鈥檚 painting process,鈥 in:聽Rothko/Giotto, exh. cat. Gem盲ldegalerie Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, S. Weppelmann and G. Wolf (eds.), Hirmer, M眉nchen 2009, 153-168 (English/German)
鈥淣ew York Conversations about Blinky,鈥 in:聽Palermo, exh. cat. Kunsthalle D眉sseldorf and Kunstverein f眉r die Rheinlande und Westfalen, S. K眉per (ed.), DuMont, K枚ln 2007, 131-147 (English/German)
贰蝉蝉补测蝉听
P. Gottschaller and J. Mazurek, “Jay DeFeo’s Dialectics of Painting,” in: Getty Research Journal, vol. 18, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2023, 107-132
“Elizabeth Neel,” in: Burlington Contemporary, May 2022,
鈥淧ainting as Technology: Toolpaths and Pathways in Cheyney Thompson鈥檚 Work,鈥 in: Journal of Contemporary Painting, vol. 7, issues 1 & 2, 2021, 115-161
鈥淔rom Ruler to Tape: Stops and Starts in the History of Painted Abstraction,鈥 in: Getty Research Journal, vol. 10, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2018,聽149-166听听
鈥淟inking Neuroscience and a Psychophysical Test on Line Perception to the Use of Self-adhesive Tape in Contemporary Painting,鈥 in: El Anuario del Instituto de Investigaciones sobre Patrimonio Cultural, Universidad Nacional de San Mart铆n, Buenos Aires 2017, TAREA, 4 (4), 34-58
鈥淒ig, slash and stitch: contemporary artists and their substrates,鈥 in: Bright Light, Living the Substrate, vol. 2, D. Dibosa (ed.), ual: University of the Arts London Camberwell, London 2014, 43-51
鈥淩ecent Trends and Developments in the Conservation of Contemporary Art,鈥 in: Zeitschrift f眉r Kunsttechnologie und Konservierung, vol. 2, Worms 2012, 352-362
P. Gottschaller, N. Khandekar, L. Lee, D. Kirby, 鈥淭he evolution of Lucio Fontana鈥檚 painting materials,鈥 in: Studies in Conservation, International Institute for Conservation (IIC), London 2012, vol. 57, 2, 76-91
N. Khandekar, E. Nagy, J. Miller, P. Gottschaller, C. Mancusi-Ungaro, 鈥淭he Re-Restoration of Donald Judd鈥檚 鈥楿ntitled, 1965鈥,鈥 in: Modern Paints Uncovered, Proceedings of the London Symposium, Tate and Getty Conservation Institute, London and Los Angeles 2007, 157-164
鈥淧alermo at Work,鈥 in: Modern Art, New Museums, Contributions to the Bilbao Congress, International Institute of Conservation (IIC), London 2004, 174-178
C. Mancusi-Ungaro and P. Gottschaller, 鈥淭he Rothko Chapel: Reflectance, Reflection and Restoration,鈥 in: Zeitschrift f眉r Kunsttechnologie und Konservierung, vol. 2, Worms 2002, 215-224
鈥淢ax Beckmann鈥檚 Painting Process,鈥 in: Pre-prints of the 24th Annual AGPIC Conference, University of Ontario 1998, 57-74
鈥淢ax Beckmann鈥檚 Painting Materials and Technique,鈥 in: Harvard University Art Museums Review, vol. VII, no. 2, Cambridge MA 1998, 8-10
