Reviews (Excerpts)

“Dirk Hagner uses the printmaking process in a surprising way. In his works, Dirk creates a composition of words, a delicate concrete poem that seems fluid and light though the subject matters are often periods of history known for their strife and confrontation. The amazing feat is that the pieces are created with letterpress, a laborious and exacting process, where text is easiest to use in a rigid linear way. Dirk seems to defy the process in some regards in these pieces, while also allowing it to give the work a wonderful antique feel.”

ArtSlant, June 16, 2008, on the upcoming exhibition Print Matter(s): California Printmaking Now, California Art Center, California State University Channel Islands

“Dirk Hagner’s large scale woodcuts have long addressed his interest in artists, poets, writers, and actors – always with some very personal fascination. These people are celebrities – although, some are rather obscure. Previous prints of iconic identities include Klaus Kinsky, somewhat of a dark horse, having starred in Werner Hertzog’s films in breakout roles like Fitzcarraldo and Aguirre. There is inherent romanticism in Hagner’s work, which, perhaps, is not surprising for an heir of German expressionism: Hagner believes in magic. He subscribes to the moment of illumination – or transcendence – when a work of art gets inside of you, and you feel euphoric.
It would be a mistake to perceive Hagner’s homage’s as analogous to Warhol’s celebrity worship. One of Hagner’s portraits in this show is of German printmaker Horst Janssen; Hagner’s interest as an artist is akin to a man’s interest in his forebears. His portrait of Vincent Price is at once appealing and unsettling.”

Christopher Michno, writer for the Inland Empire Weekly, on the occasion of the opening of Ink’d, an exhibit held at dba256 gallery, Pomona, CA, May 10, 2008

"At the 2008 Hartnett Biennial of American Prints at University of Richmond two subtle and elegant letterpress prints caught my eye and really touched me, one called “Luft” dealt with the atmosphere and one entitled “Bay of Pigs.” The prints, by Dirk Hagner, are some of the least heavy-handed works about our environmental problems that I’ve ever seen. When I got back to the hotel I checked out Hagner’s web site and discovered that he makes gorgeous woodcut portraits. Woodcut lovers, go have a look! His work is subtle and bold at the same time, a stunning combination."

Annie Bissett, Woodblock Dreams web blog, posted March 28, 2008

“Printmaker in Residence: Dirk Hagner is the first exhibition in our Downstairs Gallery, focusing on one of our new printmaking residencies.  I fell in love with Dirk’s woodcut portraits the minute he brought them into my office, and I had to have him work at the Center.  These are great big woodcuts, and Dirk has a hand and a talent that imbues the line work with real feeling, capturing the nature of the subject.  To see what I mean, check out the link to Dirk’s web site.  He really has a talent for capturing the intensity of his subjects.”

Marshall Astor, Visual Arts Director Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA, December 2007

"Do take time to read Dirk Hagner's 'No One Is the Homeland.' I say "read" because it's a staggering combination of different letterpress fonts and printing symbols that date back to Johannes Gutenberg. Based on a poem by Sam Hamill, who organized "Poets Against War" in 2003, it questions the veracity of official documents set down as law throughout history and then attacks mankind for recklessly and hypocritically following them."

Shirley Gottlieb, The Press Telegram, April 27, 2007, Long Beach, CA, 2nd City Council exhibition News: A visual exploration of topics that are in the news or should be

“For arresting impact, Dirk Hagner's woodcut portrait of Austrian artist Egon Schiele is a stellar piece at the show's entrance. Designed like an Asian scroll with brocade fabric framing its head and foot, the life-size woodcut depicts the gaunt artist staring over his right shoulder on a sunny day. Schiele's blazing white shirt and narrow face are executed with vigorous gouge marks while Hagner lets the wood's natural grain provide texture to the artist's black pants.”

Mary Abbe, Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota, October 26, 2006

“The haunting eyes of the talented but short-lived artist ‘Egon Schiele’ are compelling in the almost-life-sized woodcut portrait by Dirk Hagner of San Juan Capistrano.”

Saunthy Nicolson-Singh, National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper at Axis Galley, Sacramento, CA, Sacramento News & Enterainment Weekly, Art Pick of the Week, August 17, 2006

“The number of strong prints in the show leads one to believe we are in the midst of a renaissance in printmaking... ‘Egon Schiele’ by Dirk Hagner is an imposing, large-scale woodcut portrait of the tortured Austrian artist that takes advantage of the expressionistic, textural vigor offered by the medium.”

Victoria Dalkey, National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper at Axis Galley, The Sacramento Bee, August 13, 2006

“Two of this year’s most accomplished and traditional works (‘accomplished’ in terms of draftsmanship, ‘traditional’ in media) are Dirk Hagner’s ‘2 Dead Finches’ and Geoffrey Ridge’s ‘Orpheus’. Hagner turns a gruesome subject into a still-life of expressive beauty, the corpses as criminal evidence. In a kind of ‘the butler did it’ murder mystery, the slinking cat/culprit (shades of Manet’s ‘Les Rendez-vous des Chats’), barely observed in the distant background, stands accused in a fictive label affixed to the bottom of the image.”

Dr. Kevin Salatino, Head Curator of Prints and Drawings, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the foreword of the catalog issued for the 17th Los Angeles Printmaking Society’s Biennial National Print Exhibition at the Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, May 2003

“Dirk Hagner’s art exemplifies the best of woodblock printing, a medium that has been part of the German repertoire since the 16th century. In the tradition of Albrecht Dürer, and later such Expressionists as Ernst Kirchner, German-born Hagner displays a virtuosity for carving fine lines in wood that are transformed into superb prints rarely seen today. The mastery of his hand is such that at times it seems as if the work was crafted in previous centuries. The artist is drawn to faces of people of renown, particularly those who share his philosophy of freedom and creativity – writers, musicians, actors, and scientists. Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Richard Feynman are among his 20th century heroes. Hagner translates the brilliance of his subjects and their timeless contributions to humanity into intense facial expressions that are sensitively composed on beautiful handmade paper. One feels that Hagner approaches each portrait as if the subject is still alive, and his work keeps it so.”

Artscene, January 2004, Continuing and recommended exhibitions, The Gentle Art of Woodcuts, Old Town Gallery, Tustin, CA

“While Hagner uses well established, traditional printmaking techniques, such as woodblocks and etchings, he brings a contemporary sensibility to all his art.
    There is universality to his work, as it is rooted in the past but speaks to the present. One of Hagner’s artistic passions is to render, through intense facial expressions, portraits of illustrious people who he admires and who have contributed to the arts or to the betterment of life. This includes artists, musicians, scientists, writers and poets, and folk heroes – Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, Gwendolyn Brooks and Richard Feynman. His latest portrait is of Käthe Kollwitz, the soulful 20th century artist. Hagner captures the artist in a large print to express how her work celebrates the human condition despite relentless injustice. In contrast, Hagner created a portrait of the composer Carl Orff, known most for his electric choral work, 'Carmina Burana.' Hagner also rendered an intricate, modern version of the ancient score, combining art and music.”

Roberta Carasso, Laguna Post, June 29, 2006

“Dirk Hagner’s series of ‘Five Faxed Maries’ stands out by their strong-lined, gestural drawing.”

Daniella Walsh, The Orange County Register, May 9, 2004, on the Ink Under Pressure exhibit, held at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA)

“Now, German-born Dirk Hagner, a first-time participant in the Festival of Arts, regales us with his superb original prints that combine the precision of High Renaissance Albrecht Dürer and the colorful volatility of German Expressionism. The results are exceptional and a treat for festival attendees. ... Hagner portays Brecht, along with other famous poets, writers, composers, actors and actresses to whom he is drawn. The artist's skill in capturing the creative intensity that pours forth from these talents show on their individual facial expressions, their timeless looks that convey their brilliance and the virtuosity in which Hagner combines masterful technique with exceptional portrait making. Being an European and a printmaker, Hagner brings a classical form of art to the festival. Hagner's abilities and skills are one of the highlights of the festival. His work is not to be missed.”

Roberta Carasso, Laguna Post, July 24, 2003

“If you like prints, there is also Dirk Hagner, an artist whose subject matter alone is enough to make him examplary. It takes a lot of guts to work words into art, because they have a tendency to overwhelm the image... Don’t miss Hagner’s ‘Bertolt Brecht’. It’s a hand-printed woodcut of the poet and playwrite, written over in German. Hagner’s work is masculine and powerful, focusing on appropriate subjects for his skill, like Charles Bukowski. But my favorite is ‘Written Landscape’, a small, hand-printed letterpress piece, where the word land is repeated and closely knotted in cursive, and a block-lettered ‘Me’ floats above it, an ego on an island.”

Bobbie Allen, At the Galleries, July 22, 2005

“Also powerful are two prints by Dirk Hagner. In one, ‘American Posada’ (an engraving in two colors), Hagner depicts skeletons in sombreros (a la ‘Day of the Dead’) crossing the life-threatening border between the United States and Mexico. In the other, ‘Red and Blue Immigration’ (created from a woodcut and movable type), we see early pilgrims against the repeated declension of the verb ‘immigrate’ (i.e. I immigrate, you immigrate he and she immigrates, we immigrate, etc.). The concept behind Hagner’s prints is a no-brainer.”

Shirley Gottlieb, in The Long Beach Press Telegram, reviewing an exhibit entitled Barriers & Borders at the 2nd City Council gallery in downtown Long Beach, December 2002

“Jack Leiberman’s ‘Prepared’, a photograph of a grim woman wielding a gun, and Dirk Hagner’s ‘No. 43 Snows America’ appear straightforward but pack ideological heat. (The later takes major television networks to task for leaving audiences in the dark about news that really matters.)”

Daniella Walsh on Pareidolia, held at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA), OC Register, September 15, 2004

“How about historical reference? Dirk Hagner tackles this subject with intellectual wit and humor in his sculpture ‘American Tea Ceremony’. Composed of porcelain and wire, it consists of tea bag standing on one edge waving the American flag.”

Shirley Gottlieb, in The Long Beach Press Telegram, reviewing an exhibit entitled America at the 2nd City Council gallery in downtown Long Beach, July 2003

“San Juan Capistrano resident Dirk Hagner has contributed a couple of thought-provoking woodcuts, including ‘Red and Blue Immigration’, which depicts a Pilgrim family running under the word Caution, in a style similar to highway warning signs you might see near the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Richard Chang, OC Register, February 5, 2006 about the Muckenthaler 3rd Biennial in Fullerton, CA