Information to be found on the artist Rudiger Frank, who changed his name to Tilopa Monk in 1984 at age 35, is relatively sparse, though we have managed to but together a small biography. He was best known for his abstract expressionist oil paintings and magic realist etchings.
Monk pays homage to Albrecht Durer's etching "The Small Horse" from 1505. The subject is squeezed into the foreground of the composition with its right leg cocked and metal shoes that cover the hoofs. Unlike Durer's perfectly proportioned steed Monk's horse is stretched and swaybacked and has seen better days.
Regarding this series of etchings, "Metamorphosis Animalis," (Natural Metamorphosis) it is unclear how large the series was when and if it was published. There may have been up to 81 images in total. Some are printed on folded sheets that feature poems by Renata Zunke; others stand alone.
Some are surrealist or magic realist in nature, others are relatively straight forward compositions. Adding to the mystery is the dating: some are dated with the publication's year, 1975; others are dated 1976.