Garden gnomes have been part of our daily lives since the 17th century. As their name suggests, they are placed in gardens as decoration. The first garden gnomes appeared in Germany, then imported to the United Kingdom by Sir Charles Isham, a British gardener. For some people, they are collectibles and even have a museum. If you are one of these collectors, Ottmar Horl's garden gnomes will be perfect to complete your collection.

The garden gnome by Ottmar Horl is available here

Ottmar Horl

Ottmar Horl was born in Germany in 1950. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf. This conceptual artist has seen his popularity grow thanks to his radical and avant-garde concepts. His specialty is large-scale exhibitions of his sculptures in public spaces. Since 2005 he has become the president of the Nuremberg Academy of Fine Arts where he teaches.

The artist works from sculpture to installation. He is considered an activist for a new type of art. Ottmar Horl wishes to democratize sculpture and implement his artistic vision. It is noteworthy that in the mid-70s he began to use his works to explore issues related to art.

For his works, he uses industrial products in order to achieve his quest for a reform of traditional approaches to sculptural creation. He works in collaboration with musicians and architects.

What are the particularities of your garden gnomes?

Garden gnomes have become the central characters in the contemporary German artist 's work. In the mid-1980s, Ottmar Horl installed 60 light yellow garden gnomes. Interestingly, some dwarves show visitors their plump behinds, and others face a wall.

In the 90s, he created a new series of sculptures that he called “Rolling Change”. For this new exhibition , a thousand blue dwarves are scattered throughout the streets of Seligenstadt. In a few hours, the sculptures are transferred from public space to a garden or a piece of furniture in a house.

Although we find garden gnomes with different attitudes: praying, outstretched hand, blind deaf and mute, the most famous Ottmar Horl dwarf is the activist Sponti. A garden gnome who gives you the finger. A funny provocation that calls for disobedience. For more originality, the German artist had the idea of ​​following his garden gnome on his global adventures.

Where to find the works of Ottmar Horl?

The sculptor's works are easily recognizable. They are generally made with bright colors like red, blue or yellow. The sculptures are monochrome. They are reproduced in series, sometimes in a thousand copies. These sculptures are installed in public spaces. These works are also available as key rings.

Ottmar Horl's garden gnomes are sold in stores and decoration websites. You can get the Sponti gnome who gives you the middle finger in orange, yellow, black, pink, red... If you are not a fan of garden gnomes, a key ring bearing the image of Sponti is a good option.

The middle finger dwarf sells for 69 euros whatever the color. The set of three is sold at 169 euros. A key ring, for its part, sells for around fifteen euros. You can find it directly on our online store.

How to take care of your Ottmar Horl garden gnome?

A garden gnome spends a lot of time outdoors. And it is not sheltered from bad weather: rain, sun, snow, dust, wind. Which means it deteriorates very quickly. By maintaining your garden gnome, you extend its life and restore its shine. Enough to allow it to enhance your garden.

For cleaning, mix Marseille soap with lukewarm water. Using a sponge soaked in the mixture, rub the garden gnome using firm circular movements. Spray the gnome with clean water and let it air dry.

In summary

• Ottmar Horl was born in Germany in 1950. He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf. Since 2005, this contemporary artist has become the president of the Nuremberg Academy of Fine Arts where he has been teaching for several years. He particularly likes exhibitions in public spaces.

• Ottmar Horl has a weakness for garden gnomes. His works are very easily recognized because they are original and avant-garde. His best-known work is the garden gnome with a middle finger Sponti. There are others of his creation such as the dwarf in prayer, with an outstretched hand, and the blind deaf and mute dwarves.

• If you appreciate the works of the German sculptor, you can find his works on websites specializing in decoration and gardening or from decorators. The prices are quite affordable. It costs around 69 euros to buy a Sponti gnome and less than a thousand euros to have the entire collection including 12 garden gnomes.

• Exposed to bad weather, your garden gnome may need to be cleaned. It is important to maintain it. Good maintenance allows it to stay vibrant for as long as possible.

Find all Ottmar Hörl products here .