FTN-blog

Fré Ilgen’s diverse artistic repertoire encompasses paintings, sculptures, and mobiles that capture a reality beyond the confines of a solid mass; immersed in a fluid dance of ever-shifting relationships between abstract and figurative forms. This enigmatic dynamism is a reflection of Ilgen’s fusion of Western and Eastern philosophies and cultures, drawing inspiration from the Baroque period and the Buddhist concept of sunyata. Fascinated by the intersection between visual perception and neuroscience, Ilgen’s oeuvre delves into visually powerful themes, ranging from intricate small-scale sculptures to sprawling site-specific installations that challenge gravity and evoke a sense of constant metamorphosis. As a multifaceted artist, Ilgen’s innovative works often leave viewers in a state of awe and perplexity, as they resist the confinement of a single narrative and embrace the fusion of opposites.

In the world of contemporary art, Fré Ilgen stands out as a truly unique and dynamic force. Not only is he a masterful sculptor and painter, but also a visionary theorist and curator. In 2011, he curated the groundbreaking exhibition “Mirrors of Continuous Change” in Seoul, showcasing global art and its ever-evolving nature. Ilgen’s works have been widely collected and exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, including a recent showcase in “Frontiers Reimagined”, a renowned collateral event of the 56th Venice Biennale.

www.ftn-books.com has a Fre Ilgen print available.

Ernest Edmonds is a revolutionary figure in the world of computational art, paving the way for generative and interactive art. His work combines elements from the Concrete, Constructivist, and colour field artistic movements, with a focus on structures and interactions at the core of his practice. Specializing in creative computing, Edmonds’ research on human perception has led to the creation of dynamic computer-generated forms in vibrant hues. Originally from London, Edmonds holds degrees in Mathematics and Philosophy, and possesses a PhD in Logic. In his artistic pursuits, Edmonds progressed from traditional mediums like oils and acrylics to his first experiment with a computer in 1968. He then went on to showcase his first interactive computer-based artwork with Stroud Cornock in 1970, followed by his first networked piece in 1971, and his first generative time-based video, Fragment, in 1985. In recognition of his contribution to the field, Edmonds received the prestigious ACM SIGGRAPH Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement in Digital Art in 2017. He has exhibited his works all around the globe, from Moscow and London, to Berlin, Washington DC, Rotterdam, Beijing, and Sydney. In 2015, he participated in an exhibition in Rio de Janeiro alongside other pioneers such as Harold Cohen, Frieder Nake, and Paul Brown. Two years later, he was part of another major exhibition of pioneer computer artists in Venice, alongside Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnar, Frieder Nake, and Roman Verotkso. Edmonds has been honored with retrospective exhibitions at Microsoft Research Asia, Beijing, De Montfort University, Leicester, and Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney. He is also a prolific writer, with numerous publications on topics such as computer art, human-computer interaction, and creativity.

www.ftn-books.com has a Edmonds print available.

Born in Belgium in 1948, Jean-Pierre Maury is a resident and working artist in both Belgium and France.

Since 1968, his work has been rooted in the development of the “mouvance construite” (constructive movement). This movement has solidified its position as the only truly new visual adventure since the beginning of the previous century. Despite undoubtedly leaving its mark on the past, it has remained strikingly relevant.

Having expressed a fervent desire to paint at a young age, Jean-Pierre Maury embarked on six extensive series of programmed works dedicated to the language of plastic between 1968 and 1978. In his works following 1978, he solely focused on a minimal visual element: the intersection of two lines.

Furthermore, Maury complements the strictness and requirements of his theoretical and practical work in regulated composition with an investigation of matter and color, demonstrating a pure, intuitive sensibility. He skillfully combines the ever-present rigor with a desire to integrate new elements in the execution of constructed practice, contributing to its continued existence and the expected renewal.

In doing so, he seeks to showcase the fullness of humanity – the ability to think combined with the ability to experience.

His work aims to demonstrate that strict form alone creates an additional organization of reality. This added realism, almost a subversion of a minimal and seemingly closed compositional principle, is undoubtedly intertwined with humor – yet another added value. Humor elevates the mundane or tragic and makes it bearable.

www.ftn-books.com has an impressive small screen print by Maury available.

Manfred Mohr is an esteemed figure in the realm of software-based art. In the early 1960s, he chanced upon the writings of Professor Max Bense on the subject of information aesthetics. These texts revolutionized Mohr’s artistic perspective, leading to a transformation from abstract expressionism to computer-generated algorithmic geometry in just a few years. Encouraged by renowned computer music composer Pierre Barbaud, whom he met in 1967, Mohr delved into programming and created his first computer drawings in 1969, utilizing the Fortran IV language to produce intricate compositions in the form of ink drawings on paper.

Mohr initiated his research at the Faculty of Vincennes, Paris in 1969, joining the “Art et Informatique” group and co-founding their seminar. However, in the beginning, he lacked access to a plotter at the facility and had to meticulously draw his computer calculations as printed xy points by hand on paper. This proved to be a challenging and tedious process, prompting him to seek a superior solution.

In 1970, Mohr reached out to the Institute of Meteorology in Paris and was granted access to a Benson 1284 flatbed plotter and a CDC 6400 computer, which were the most advanced machines of that time. He dedicated long hours every night from 1970 to 1983 at the institute, combining research with programming to create his one-of-a-kind artworks. Employing algorithms to calculate images, Mohr pioneered the concept of a logical and automatic construction of pictures.

Before gaining access to the Institute of Meteorology, Mohr’s earliest drawings were produced on a light pen plotter in 1969, as well as on a large Zuse flatbed plotter at the University of Darmstadt in Germany in 1970. His first major museum exhibition, Une esthétique programmée, was held in 1971 at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. This exhibition has now solidified his place in history as the first artist to have a solo exhibition in a museum entirely comprising of works generated and drawn by a digital computer. During the exhibit, Mohr publicly demonstrated his process of drawing his computer-generated imagery for the first time using a Benson flatbed plotter. Drawing from the logical structure of cubes, Mohr’s pieces are a true manifestation of enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism.

www.ftn-books.com has several Mohr publications available including some screen prints.

The Analogiques series from 1976 marked Nausica Pastra’s endeavor to align her creations with the principles of objective and minimal geometry. She focused on constructing a logical system of interconnections through exhaustive analysis and the use of repetitive structures. Within the drawings, one can find handwritten annotations, notations, various shapes and measurements, diagrams, and grids. These components served as tools for transforming intangible concepts into tangible forms, enabling Pastra to clearly and purely present her work’s development. Her approach revolved around the concept of seriality, with the purpose of generating new structural modules. Each drawing exuded an air of analytical austerity and systematic design, emphasizing the primacy of ideas and methodologies preceding the actual execution. Pastra’s work encapsulated an implicit philosophical process, where the conceptual associations that emerged from theoretical analysis intertwined with the artistic practice.

www.ftn-books.com has 1 Analogiques print available.

From his early works, Jean-Jacques Bauweraerts has practiced an abstraction that leads to minimalist constructed art. In 1986, he exhibited his first assembled paintings in Zurich and, the following year, became Sol Lewitt’s assistant for Wall Drawings in Paris. His works play with monochromatic blacks, reds, or blues juxtaposed with geometric shapes in contrasting colors. He is interested in layering of canvases, cutouts, and reliefs, always in line with pure constructivism. In 1988, he was involved in the founding of the magazine Mesures Art International with Marcel-Louis Baugniet, Jo Delahaut, Jean-Pierre Husquinet, Victor Noël, Jean-Pierre Maury, and Léon Wuidar. He also contributed to numerous editions. As the author of various architectural integrations, he is also a characteristic representative of abstract minimalism that developed in the last years of the 20th century. Since 1982, his works have been seen in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Russia.

www.ftn-books.com has 1 Bauweraerts print available.

Defined by the Larousse dictionary, “contemporary” pertains to those who coexist with others, save for particular occurrences. Paradoxically, the term also alludes to those belonging to the present era.

Correspondingly, Jean-Pierre Husquinet can be categorized as a contemporary artist, despite his preference for transcending the concept of time in his creations.

Through his choice of materials and techniques, Husquinet’s pieces exhibit a balance between traditional and experimental, oscillating between craftsmanship and precision. Utilizing rope as a primary medium, his repetitive gestures imbue texture and depth, while his vector drawings employ an array of computer programs and modern tools to achieve the desired intricacy and structure.

www.ftn-books.com has one Husquinet silkscreen print available,

In his younger days, Adinolfi harbored an inclination towards the arts and the thought of enrolling in an art college. He revealed, “A substantial amount of my time has been and continues to be devoted to the creation of artwork, as well as attending evening art classes. These sessions have exposed me to various forms of printing techniques, and more recently, the intricacies of fashioning metal sculptures. My creations, ranging from collages and etchings to linocuts and sculptures, have garnered recognition in galleries, and have even been sold twice annually. At times, I ponder if they have elevated my “celebrity” status amongst peers, perhaps even surpassing the recognition received for my scientific publications.”

www.ftn-books.com has one Adinolfi collage available.

Yves De Smet, born in 1946 in Gent and passing away in 2004, was an artist who studied monumental arts and modern philosophy.

Initially, De Smet’s body of work primarily consisted of monochrome reliefs, architectural integrations, minimalist constructions, and concrete poetry. In 1964, De Smet met Amedée Cortier, with whom he would become very close friends. In 1966, De Smet co-founded the Plus Group with Willy Plompen and Jan van den Abbeel. The artists in this group also referred to themselves as the “Ghent Constructivists.” Their goal was to elevate painting to a total, multisensory experience. The experience of art was meant to be more than just viewing a work of art on a wall. Additionally, they also rejected the idea that art must be narrative, symbolic, or expressionist. The Plus Group disbanded in 1968. In 1969, De Smet, together with Cortier, founded the Plus-Kern Group, a center for constructive design.

Ultimately, Yves De Smet departed from constructivist art and focused on conceptual art. The concept of relationships was central to his work. These relationships could be linguistic, but also mathematical, material, emotional, or even a combination of all of these.

www.ftn-books.com has a de Smet print now available.

After honing his skills in monumental painting at the École nationale supérieure des Arts visuels of La Cambre under the tutelage of masters Paul Delvaux and Jo Delahaut, Bernard Villers embarked on a journey of pictorial exploration, emerging as a prominent figure in the Belgian art landscape. His perceptive and unconventional methodology garnered widespread acclaim, culminating in a retrospective showcase at the Botanique art center in Brussels, Belgium, in 2018. Bernard Villers’ artistic pursuits challenge the conventional interplay between support and color, revealing a symbiotic relationship that fosters an equal exchange between these pivotal elements. The artist expertly subverts the viewer’s expectations by presenting chromatic interventions that are both direct and minimal, yet still imbued with emotion. It is in the subtle imperfections of Bernard Villers’ lines that the beauty of everyday life is unveiled.

www.ftn-books.com has a Villers print now for sale.