Eugene Von Bruenchenhein 1910-1983

Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (1910–1983) was a self-taught Milwaukee artist who, by day, worked in a bakery and, by night, pursued photography, painting, sculpture, and poetry. He believed deeply in his talent, calling himself an “Artist—Poet and Sculptor—Innovator—Photographer and Philosopher,” yet his work remained largely unseen during his lifetime.

His wife Evelyn—whom he nicknamed “Marie”—was his muse, appearing in hundreds of staged portraits. Using household fabrics, handmade crowns, and a home darkroom, Von Bruenchenhein created images that draw on 1940s–50s pinup culture but remain uniquely intimate, blending fantasy and domestic life.

Prolific across media, he produced thousands of works: sculptures from chicken bones, concrete masks, poetry, and visionary paintings made with his fingers, cardboard scraps, or brushes crafted from Marie’s hair. His apocalyptic landscapes reflect both wonder and Cold War anxiety.

After his death in 1983, his home was discovered overflowing with art. Soon after, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center began cataloguing the collection. Today, his work is held in major institutions including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne.