Karl Spreitz

SPREITZ, Karl 29 May 1927 - 13 May 2016 Peacefully, in the early evening of May 13th, in Victoria, B.C. He was many in one, and one of a kind. It's astonishing to think that Karl Spreitz was born in 1927; he was always so thoroughly contemporary. He was born in Graz, Austria, a natural athlete and artist, and a man who was adept at almost everything he set his mind to. He studied Physical Education at the university in Graz after the Second World War, and was appointed the Assistant Coach of the Austrian Women's Olympic team. He left for Canada in 1952. The following year he married the Olympic medallist Ina Mayer von Bojan and they settled in Ontario. Karl studied photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, and in 1959 he and Ina moved to Victoria where his careers as a freelancer, a photographer for Beautiful British Columbia Magazine and cameraman for CHEK-TV introduced him to the natural beauty of the province and the wacky weirdness of its politics. Karl had a wonderful eye, and was a superb photographic technician. He would later design, author and co-author several photographic books including Songs from the Wild (1992). During the 1960s, Karl began to establish himself as an artist, developing close relationships with other artists, young and old, and making experimental films. He was an original member of the Society of Limners, an association of Victoria artists and collaborators, many of who, like Karl, had left Europe behind. Karl was not afraid of new influences; he welcomed them, the more radical the better. He kept up to date with contemporary art and with the new, revolutionary cinema. In the 1970s Karl became an independent filmmaker, producing innovative documentaries, many of which show the triumph of imagination over extremely modest resources. A series of historical shorts composed of archival stills and early footage produced for the Provincial Museum broke new ground. Many of his best films, including Ninstints: Shadow Keepers of the Past, remain in active circulation. Karl's major contributions as an artist are his drawings, paintings and collages, which deserve more serious reflection and consideration than they have received so far. In several creative bursts in the second half of his life he created a coherent, humorous and often troubling series of works-Kafkaesque might describe the systems he illustrated-making it clear, as he demonstrated in his own life, that while each of us may be the prisoner of circumstances, we must never let those circumstances get the better of us. He will be remembered for his artistic integrity, his mentorship of younger artists and colleagues, and his unfailing friendship, love for, and dedication to his friends and colleagues. It's with heavy hearts that we say farewell to a man who honoured the imagination, who expanded our horizons, and who brought life and often joy in all its complexities into every room he entered. A celebration of Karl's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Victoria at give.uvic.ca, or by cheque to the University of Victoria, specifying the "Special Collections Enrichment Fund - K. Spreitz."