PETER ROBERT KEILGerman Neo-Expres s ioni s t

Richard Kessler, a philanthropist, visionary entrepreneur and hotel developer, has collected thousands of pieces of art throughout his life. Searching for timeless beauty that will interest people now and in the future, he has been able to create inspiring places through the use of artwork.

Kessler’s passion for collecting art started at a young age. When he was just a child, he saw rare beauty in an Indian arrowhead, and began what would be the first of many collections. Over the years, Kessler has built a variety of art collections, including antique furniture, hand-made oriental rugs, rare clocks and watches, culturally inspired art glass and bronze sculptures, all connected by a common thread of pure beauty.It was in the early 1980’s that Kessler first began collecting paintings and developing an interest in discovering lesser-known artists. This became a new passion in itself, as he was excited by the accessibility of painters and ability to learn the inspiration behind their art. Kessler finds pleasure in the color and dimensions created on a simple canvas, and therefore views paintings as a luxury rather than an investment.

He compares finding the right painter to an Easter egg hunt, stating, “It’s a challenge. I aim to find artists that I believe will have value to people in the future.” Peter Keil, a German expressionist

RICHARD KESSLER & PETER KEIL

inspired by Picasso, is one of the artists whose work instantly caught the attention of Richard Kessler. When Kessler was introduced to Keil, the two instantly connected. Sharing a deep love for art appreciation and the joy in self-expression, Keil is a natural fit for Kessler’s collection.Richard Kessler loves the simplicity of Peter Keil’s paintings, and believes the artist has a great sense of color. “Peter’s paintings always have a story to tell,” says Mr. Kessler. About every three months, he purchases another part of Keil’s art collection. In addition to paintings, Kessler has also bought antique furniture and other collectables from the painter.

Peter Keil originals can be found in Richard Kessler’s personal home, but also in several of his Grand Bohemian Art Galleries, which are located in Kessler Collection hotels around the country. These galleries all feature artwork of talented yet less well-known artists, and are a proud accomplishment for Richard.

Kessler continues to search for artists that inspire him in the way Peter Keil is able to. Passion for art is something that Richard Kessler knows will always drive him to continue collecting. “When you start collecting something, you can never really quit. You just keep building the collection,” says Kessler.

Peter Robert Keil was born in Zullichau, Pomerania (now Poland) on August 6, 1942. After the death of his father in World War II, Peter and his mother set out to make their way through the chaos of battered Germany to West Berlin. There he grew up in the neighborhood of grey blocks of houses, the typical backyards and the trees of the park nearby. He admired the works of the Expressionists and with particular zest he enjoyed Picasso. The expressiveness of the vivid colors opened a way to temporary escape from the dullness and depression of everyday life in post-war Germany and he started his first attempts as a visual artist. At first, he studied and copied Picasso’s style; and at age 15, he began painting and creating art with the help of his first mentor, Otto Nagel. Helearned many painting techniques from his teacher and friend with whom he explored Berlin. They often painted from nature and he learned to see his neighborhood with the eyes of an artist. In the late 1950’s, Peter met Joan Miro and began to study with him at his home on the island of Mallorca. It was here that he learned to keep his art free of nature’s constraints, utilizing a dynamic and spontaneous brushwork technique that distanced him even further from classical realism.

PETER KEIL

His apprenticeship carried the artist to Paris, where he moved into a small studio close to the Place de la Bastille. Here, Keil learned to keep his art free of nature’s constraints. At night, he came into contact with diverse Parisian characters including alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and thieves. These subjects served as models for his sketches. Peter has an uncanny ability to cut through superficiality while portraying human life with brightness, boldness, and color. His work does not serve to illustrate the illusions of a candy-colored reality or the emptiness of vain beauty. He is fascinated by people on the fringes of society, the stories of those who have been pushed too far, those characters who chose an existence on the other side of society. His inspiration is based on his view of man as an essentially social being. Peter Keil’s unique individual style has a certain coarseness, dynamism and loud coloring which are a record and testament of his contribution to the early phase of the West German neo-expressionist movement, in which he is now recognized as one of the foremost figures in German Neo-Expressionism.

EXHIBITIONS1962 First solo exhibition (SE), Art Gallery, London1964 Rotebro, Sweden1965/1966 Grosse Berliner Kunstausstellung, Berlin1980 SE, Dr. Friedmann Gallery, Israel1985 SE, Wewerka Gallery, Berlin1993 SE, Carousel Gallery, Gania, Florida, USA1996 SE, Waldmünchen, Germany1997 SE, Kempten, Germany1998 SE, Aventura Art Gallery, Aventura, Florida, USA1999 Höckner Gallery, Salzburg | Hartl Gallery, Wien Österreich2000 Exhibition Paris, Amsterdam, London2001-05 Intercontinental Hotel, Berlin2002 International Art Fair, Fraunkfurt2003 Boxsler Gallery, Lichtenfels, Germany2006 Public Library, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Las Olas Art Centerl, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA2007 Villa Meixner, Collection des KulturForum Europa, Brül/Baden Kessler Corporation, Orlando, Florida; Savannah, Georgia, USA Linz Hotel, Linz Austria2008 The Hurn Museum, Savannah, Georgia, USA2010 GIM, Keil-Collection Heifelberg, Lange Nacht der Museen, Heidelberg

PETER ROBERT KEILCHRONOLOGY

VITAPeter Robert Keil, born in Zullichau, Pomerania (now Poland) on August 6, 19421954-1956 Pupil by the painter Otto Nagel1956 Apprenticeship as a locksmith (art/metal worker)1959-1961 Hochschule der Künste Berline (today: The Berlin university of the Art)From 1963 he studied in Majorca, in London and in Paris. In the 1970s he was a student at the HDK Berlin. Since the 1990s he has had a studio in FloridaToday he lives and works in Zimmerau (Bavaria) and in Florida

COLLECTIONSWilhelm Kampik, Keil-Collection, Heifelberg Gerhard Fehringer, Pfaffenhofen, Upper Bavaria Dr. Boxler, LichtenfelsDr. Dietrich, MunichDr. Kremer, MunichClaudia Lang, MuncihHrold Reitz, Amsterdam, NLGallery Hartl, Vienna, AustriaRosenthal, Meckenhofen, Austria Gallery Vallerie, Intercontinental Hotel, Warsaw, PolandRussian Museum, St. Petersburg, RussiaMoscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, RussiaKunsthaus Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandBerlinische Gallery, Bern, SwitzerlandRichard Kessler, The Kessler Collection, Orlando, FL USAEclectic Art & Objects Galler, Pittsbrugh, PA, USAGianfrance Ferré, Fashion Design, NY, USAKent Anderson (H & M), NY, USAWest Palm Beach Museum, FL, USA

CLOWNSPeter found a lot o f h i s inspirat ion f rom hi s ear ly ch i ldhood in Ber l in, Germany. He v i s i ted the c i rcus f requent ly wi th h i s parents and found joy, f r iendship, and comfort in the br ight co lors , cos tumes,and v ivac i ty o f the c i rcus per formers.Clowns became a f requent part o f h i s ear ly work.

Party Face III Acrylic 24 x 24

Party Face VI Acrylic 24 x 24

Ruby Lips Acrylic 24 x 24

Party Face IV Acrylic 24 x 24

Party Face IX Acrylic 24 x 24

PORTRÄTSPORTRAITS

“Heart ,” Peter says s implywhen asked what he wi shes toconvey in h i s paint ings .Peter Kei l has an uncannyabi l i ty to cut throughsuperf i c ia l i ty whi le portray ing human l i fe wi th br ightnes s ,boldnes s , and co lor.

Alec Acrylic 24 x 40

Blue Eyes Acrylic 24 x 24

Chet Acrylic 39 x 39

Fish Face Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Orange Face Acrylic 24 x 24

The Joker Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Tic Tac Toe Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Top Hat Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

DAS SEESTÜCKSEASCAPES

Peter o f ten painted h i s be loved Lake Wanasee near Ber l in,

wi th i t s beaut i fu l sa i lboats , ch i ldren running around and

swimming, young lovers on vacat ion, and sun-

worshippers . These paint ings are br ight , co lor, e f fervescent,

and joy ful ly embrace Li fe .

Afternoon Watch Acrylic 39 x 39

Blue Waters Acrylic 39.5 x 27.5

Cold Morning Acrylic 39.25 x 39.25

Night Sail Acrylic 39.5 x 27.5

Orange Sea Acrylic 39.5 x 27.5

Red Sun Acrylic 24 x 24

Rough Waters Acrylic 24 x 20

Three Trees Acrylic 24 x 24

STILL LIFE

Developing in the late1970s in react ion to theMinimal i s t and Conceptualart movements , Neo-Expres s ioni sm deve lopedinto a popular avant-gardeform of ar t in Germany, the United States , and I ta ly.

Arrangement Acrylic 26.5 x 40

Bouquet Acrylic 40 x 40

Green Vase Acrylic 24 x 24

LaLa Acrylic 24 x 36

Mountains Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Six Flowers Acrylic 24 x 24

Drawn quick ly and dec i s ive ly , these paint ings are spontane-

ous and involve s t rong co lor contras t wi th s lashing brush-

strokes. These paint ings re ly upon ins t inct and imaginat ion,

favor ing energy,v ivac i ty , and appeal ing d irec t ly to the publ ic

appet i te for fantasy, mys tery, and br ight co lor

DIVERSESASSORTED STYLES

Big Head Acrylic 40 x 40

Bird Face Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Collage Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Colors Acrylic 39.5 x 27.5

Fish Man Acrylic 39.5 x 27.5

Horse Head Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Jailbird Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Purple Face Acrylic 27.5 x 39.5

Starting to Wilt Acrylic 24 x 24

EXHIBITING AT

GRAND BOHEMIAN GALLERIESWITHIN THE KESSLER COLLECTION HOTELS

www.grandbohemiangal lery.comwww.kes s lercol lec t ion.com

PLEASE CONTACTMICHAEL HALL

CORP ORATE DIRECTOR OF GALLERY SALES

407.996.2512