The work of Dré Devens often consists of a sparse, yet impactful, array of lines, slicing through both physical space and the space of paper. Through eliminations and subtle interventions, he dissects the space, rebuilding it as a constructivist. In doing so, he invites the viewer to a novel spatial experience. With his actions, he brings order to chaos, allowing the space and his interventions to coexist, generating a new ideal.
www.ftn-books.com has a drawing by Drevens now available.
Sigurd Rompza fervently believes that his work compels the observer to partake in it, a sentiment shared by a multitude of 20th-century artists. The origin of this participation lies in the movement initiated by the eye as it analyzes the space it perceives. The linear relief of the form plays on the flat surface of the wall, inviting the eye to follow its development and the observer to partake in an unknowing movement. Rompza’s light objects, consisting of forms and colors, allow the eye to appreciate the beginning of a volume’s movement.
Rompza’s wall objects and reliefs serve as invitations for observers to take on different perspectives and examine them closely: the relationship of surfaces and their colors depending on the location, the transforming influence of light on the effect of colors and forms, and the mechanisms behind our vision as an underlying principle.
Sigurd Rompza’s declared goal is “to create objects specifically for sensual cognizance,” a goal he has unwaveringly pursued for many years with exceptional artistic skill and conceptual acuity. His Sehstücke are designed to embody the process of seeing in and of themselves. “Working in the visual arts necessarily entails addressing the ‘nature of seeing’,” says Rompza. “And the ‘nature of seeing’ entails how seeing takes place. The act of seeing is not static, but rather unfolds in a procession of correspondences: the ambiguous interrelation of visual elements, medial equivocation, shifting spaces, the relation of color to form, and open-ended pictorial cycles. Artworks conceived with seeing in mind open up possibilities for productive ways of seeing: of seeing form and colors in motion, light and shadow, interiors as exteriors, and vice versa.”
www.ftn-books.com has a Rompza print available.
In its purest form, mathematics shares its sublime uselessness with art, yet secretly hoping for their justification in reality. Dirk Verhaegen declares that he creates “systematic art,” an extremely rational stance within the long-standing tradition of geometry and construction. Logical mathematical rules allow the work, or a series of works, to manifest themselves almost effortlessly. In line with preconceived mathematical principles, a work or a series of works is generated almost automatically. In the 1970s, these were mainly linear works and systematically irregular polygons, sometimes with the wall as the medium. Later, they became “transactions,” dynamic lines jumping back and forth over merged or overlapping images; an organized chaos that reminds us of recorded eye movements or scores for electronic music.
www.ftn-books.com has a Verhaegen screen print available.
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,
