Korbinian Aigner, known as the “Apple Pastor”, was both a priest and an expert in growing fruit, particularly apples. Due to his critical remarks he was imprisoned at the Dachau concentration camp in 1941 where, as a forced labourer in agriculture, he succeeded in growing new varieties of apples between the barracks, which he named KZ 1, KZ 2 (Concentration Camp 1, 2), etc. At the same time he untiringly drew sketches of different varieties. To commemorate Aigner, the US concept artist Jimmie Durham planted an apple tree of the Korbinian variety KZ 3 in the Parkaue park in Kassel as part of his contribution to documenta 13 (Kassel, 2012). Inspired by this action and in memory of his great grandfather who was also incarcerated at Dachau – both men survived – Dietmar Franz took an interest in Aigner’s sketches and re-drew some of his Apple Portraits. Since then he has been drawing one apple after another.

— Felix Kucher

In his very recent series Trash Bags, which he started in 2016, Dietmar Franz picks up a theme that is by no means new, but nevertheless extremely topical: waste. Using his proven technique of graphite on plywood, he creates two-dimensional wall objects that seem deceptively genuine and which cause irritation, both when the trash bags are seen separately and when they are arranged into groups, as still lifes. Inevitably, the viewer is faced with the question of their content, which may be a variety of things. Based on his own annual dilemma of how to dispose of his Christmas tree, he depicts a tree in a trash bag, thus adding an additional level of interpretation.

— Magdalena Koschat

Over the years, Dietmar Franz has reduced his oeuvre entirely to graphite on plywood. Playing with black, grey and white as well as the natural authenticity of the image carrier, he achieves a stunning impact without the need for any further colours. The themes of the large-format panels in this series NATURgeil are derived from the artist’s interaction with nature and his roots in the Austrian province of Carinthia. However, his depictions of nature are more than woods and landscapes. Rather, interwoven with female symbolism, they constitute a certain yearning for the invigorating impact of nature, while also metaphorically representing its origin and creation.

— Magdalena Koschat