MANFRED RAPP

Manfred Rapp was born in Germany in 1956 and began drawing at the age of four. By the time he was sixteen, he was serving an apprenticeship as a graphic artist at a West German firm. Upon completion of his apprenticeship he began his career doing graphic designs and Illustrations for televised children’s programs, books and designing performing arts posters for various artist such as Diana Ross, Barry Manilow and Phil Collins. Later working for Messerschmidt Boelko Blohm Air Industries as a technical plan-drafter for aircraft engines & general air dynamics & concepts. During this time, many study trips were made to Paris, Rome and Venice where he visited the famous art museums and began a study of the Great Masters. At age twenty-three he enrolled in the Art Academy of Konstanz, where he studied from 1979 to 1985 under the close guidance of renowned Czechoslovakian artist, Professor Karel Hodr. Manfred has the honor of receiving his MastersDegree in Fine Art from this distinguished Academy. Being greatly inspired by the French Impressionists and after many years of study and experimentation Manfred has combined his own artistic visions in developing his unique style. His representational rural, urban, landscapes and figurative subject matters are created by combining Impressionism with glazing techniques of the Old Masters. Museum exhibitions of his work have been held at the International Museum of Contemporary masters, Salon International 2006, San Antonio, TX. The Art East Museum, Balontonfured, Hungary in 2004. The Ernst Museum & City Hall of Budapest in 2003 & 2005. Other exhibitions include numerous private gallery shows having been held in Germany, Italy and the U.S. Manfred has also been represented in many fine art galleries throughout the U.S. At the Hacienda de los Santos, 5 star Luxury Resort in Mexico, Manfred has been the featured artist since 2007, having solo shows yearly. In 2007 Manfred began including mural work to his many endeavors after being asked to do a mural in a Presidential Suite. Along with his oil paintings Manfred is also specializing in specific art for architectural walls and environments where he has created murals in private homes throughout Santa Fe, California and Mexico. In 2010 Manfred was commissioned as project director of design, mural and color selection for the restoration project of the 15,000 sq. ft. 1920s Pridgen Theater in St. Petersburg, FL. A total of eleven large murals were included in this project with a 14 ft. x 27 ft. stage back drop being the largest.