The various elements imbue vitality into every nook and cranny of the mystical void, where the sculptor’s touch is depicted as the gentle stroke that gives rise to the metamorphosis into art.
This transformation is not instantaneous; it requires its own internal time and process of maturation. The sculptor’s intense emotions, stemming from their pursuit of materials across the land, now flow within the workshop walls. Materials and concepts converge and converse in a more intimate and tranquil manner. Amidst the enchantment that envelops each moment, the journey towards defining the sculpture commences.
www.ftn-books.com has a nice San Sebastian published book on Zamorano now available.
Conceptual artist Caspar Berger has a penchant for infusing contemporary issues and the art historical canon into his works. His self-portrait and personal body often serve as the starting point for pieces that delve into themes of freedom, mortality, and political (belief) systems. To bring these ideas to life, Berger employs a diverse range of materials such as bronze, silver, gold, silicone, epoxy, wood, and felt, as well as video and multimedia, or a combination thereof. His body of work is divided into a series of extensive collections, including Skin, Skeleton, Universe, and Spirit.
Skin focuses on the human skin as its point of departure. The skin defines the boundary between the internal body of the individual self and the impersonal external world. In Skeleton, Berger created an exact 3D replica of his own skeleton in 2012, using a CT scan. The concept of our “eternal” identity, one that continues to speak of us even after death, serves as the basis for this series. In Universe, Berger explores the space that humans occupy in social and political situations. Who are we in relation to our physical, social, and political space, and how does our unique identity align with the collective fantasies that shape us? As for Spirit, his most recent ongoing project, Berger delves into the theme of the mindset and life questions that arise from the human condition. Here, the notion of Spirit encompasses not only a superior meaning but also the mental stance individuals can adopt in our social, political, and societal environment.
Antonio Saura (b. 1930 in Huesca, d. 1998 in Cuenca) was a Spanish artist known for his surrealist style. Drawing inspiration from the works of Arp and Tanguy, Saura developed a highly personal approach to his art. His initial experiments with pictorial invention resulted in numerous drawings and paintings featuring a dreamlike, surreal quality.
In the 1950s, Saura was associated with the Surrealist group. Later, he turned to the technique of grattage and, through his gestural style, found his way to a radically abstract, always colorful form of painting rooted in an organic, aleatoric conception.
Using formal, highly specific structural elements, he eventually created the first forms that would evolve into the archetypal model of the female body or the human head, themes that would come to define Saura’s work.
From 1957 to 1960, Saura led the artists’ group El Paso in Madrid. He had his first solo exhibition with Rodolphe Stadler in Paris, followed by shows with Otto van de Loo in Munich and Pierre Matisse in New York. Saura remained essentially independent from the artistic movements and trends of his generation, although his unique style can be seen in the spirit of Velázquez and Goya.
Starting in 1977, he also wrote and designed sets for theater, ballet, and opera. Saura’s work is featured in numerous public collections, including the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Folkwang Museum in Essen, and the Pinakothek der Moderne.
Known for his unique relief paintings, Enrico Castellani rose to fame as a member of the renowned mid-century Group Zero. His unconventional approach involved stretching canvas over protruding nailheads, creating a striking interplay of light, shade, and positive and negative space. Throughout his career, Castellani continued to incorporate innovative techniques, such as inlaid patterns, tensile surfaces, and varied textures, to push the boundaries of his art. He also experimented with different materials and colors, diversifying his creative repertoire.
Apart from his iconic paintings, Castellani also dabbled in the production of partly ready-made installations and sculptures, further solidifying his reputation as a trailblazer in the art world. His bold spirit extended beyond his art, as seen in his influential Galleria Azimut exhibition space and journal, Azimuth. This publication featured avant-garde painting and showcased works by prominent artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Heinz Mack, Jean Tinguely, and Yves Klein.
Castellani’s captivating art has been displayed at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Fondazione Prada. On the secondary market, his pieces have sold for seven figures, a testament to his enduring legacy. In 1964, 1966, and 1984, Castellani proudly represented Italy at the esteemed Venice Biennale.
As “living sculptures,” Gilbert & George have become an icon in the art world: initially despised by art critics for being too vulgar, too loud, and too flat, but soon becoming immensely popular and globally respected. They were the first in the 1960s to boldly and shamelessly place themselves at the center of their work. Always immaculately dressed in tweed suits, flawlessly elegant and politely friendly. In physical symbiosis, they move synchronously, composed and almost mechanically through their lives and work. In their shared universe, they seamlessly finish each other’s thoughts and sentences: “It’s very simple. We are two people, but one artist. That’s the secret.”
The artists met as students in 1967 in London and have worked and lived together as Gilbert & George since ’68. Their early work mainly consisted of performances, in which they portrayed living statues. Soon their oeuvre also included video, drawings, and especially photography. In the 1970s, their work evolved from assemblages with black and white photography to grid-like combinations of photos. The bright colors they added in the 1980s emphasized the smooth, caricatural nature of their montages. The works from this period depict life in the modern metropolis and the hopes and fears dominating the zeitgeist. In 1989, they created 25 large works on illness and destruction for a charity organization for AIDS patients. In “New Democratic Pictures” (1991), full of homo-erotic and Christian references, the artists appear completely nude for the first time.
Gilbert & George have rebelled against the elitism of art throughout their entire careers. They live in a working-class neighborhood in London and label their oeuvre as “Art for All.” Their goal is to reach the widest possible audience. “We simply cannot understand why an artist should intentionally be unclear, or do something that 99% of the population cannot comprehend. We aim to bring meaning and substance into art.” Their consciously cultivated disdain for the art world and their high productivity – up to 153 works in one year – perhaps explain why art critics initially loathed them. However, the absurd, ironic, and caricatural elements in their work are not merely mischievous parodies. Beneath the surface of the bold colors, silly faces, and intentionally unesthetic compositions lies an incredibly resistant criticism of reality.
fascinated by the works of G&G , www.ftn-books.com has built a large collection of GG related books and items.
At the spot where one would typically expect a human head, there is instead a skull of an animal or an exotic mask. The attire is equally diverse, ranging from traditional clothing of far-off lands to futuristic uniforms, fur coats, and sharply tailored suits. Cowboy boots, pink pumps, or sandals on their feet and an assortment of objects in hand: spears, guns, a stylish handbag, or a falcon. It’s often impossible for the viewer to discern whether the figure is male or female.
Schleiffert predominantly depicts these figures on a large scale, making them larger than life. Her choice of materials is varied, from chalk to paint and from faux fur to aluminum foil. Schleiffert works with compositions of imagery, using collages as a starting point for her drawings and paintings. Redrawing is important to Schleiffert because, in her own words, it allows her to avoid creating everything from imagination.
Themes of oppression, freedom, power, and gender play a central role in Schleiffert’s body of work. By combining different styles, eras, and locations, her work raises questions about tolerance in life: her potential figures display a longing for what should be possible. Schleiffert says, “My figures are not always content with their lives and dream of an alternative.”
In addition to drawings and paintings, Schleiffert also creates installations and sculptures. She studied at the Academy of Arts and Design in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (1985-1990) and at De Ateliers (1990-1992). In 1999, Schleiffert won the Prix de Rome. Her work has been exhibited at places such as Heden (The Hague), Museum Het Domein (Sittard), and CBK Drenthe (Assen).
In 1955, at the ripe age of 51, Pinot Gallizio turned his attention to painting after previously immersing himself in archaeology, botany, and studying popular cultures and the phenomenon of nomadism. This particular exhibition showcased a curated selection of his entire body of work, spanning less than a decade. His paintings boast an abstract foundation, executed in a gesture-heavy style that layers thick brushstrokes of oil paint onto the canvas. At times, these clusters of paint coalesce into perplexing symbols, resembling small round eyes or mouths twisted into menacing grins. Many of the pieces feature surreal and ironic titles such as “Death of a Common Traveler” (1955) and “Elliptical Paranoia” (1956).
Gallizio’s bold use of colors and thick, childlike forms were heavily influenced by his collaboration and friendship with Asger Jorn, a prominent member of the CoBrA group. Both men worked in the experimental workshop in Gallizio’s hometown of Alba, where the Italian artist conceptualized and produced his “Industrial Paintings” (1958-59), consisting of canvases over 40 feet in length with heavy impasto and tumultuous colors. Rather than being confined to a frame, each of these canvases could be rolled out in an exhibition space, creating an immersive environment. In fact, some pieces could even be entered as a tunnel, such as “Cavern of the Antimatter” (1958). Gallizio’s search for an alternative to traditional painting and the limitations of the canvas mirrors the works of Lucio Fontana’s “Spatial Environments” (1948-1950) and Yves Klein’s “Architecture of the Air” (1958-1959). As described by Mirella Bandini in a catalogue for Gallizio’s 1974 exhibition in Turin, his art embodied the “ideation of a new culture, in opposition to institutionalized and compartmentalized art.” This movement slowly began to infiltrate the artistic landscape of Turin, aligning with the ideas of the pioneering Arte Povera artists like Mario Merz and Marisa Merz.
www.ftn-books.com has the Gallizio catalog published by the Stedelijk Museum available.
Lee Bontecou, an American abstract sculptor, has gained recognition for her unique wall sculptures. Using unconventional materials such as canvas, conveyer belts, and mail sacks, attached to welded steel frames, her artwork showcases dark openings that draw parallels to bodily orifices. While some may interpret her work as having vaginal connotations, its true purpose lies in its focus on materiality and its conceptual significance, placing Bontecou in the same conversation as Minimalist artist Donald Judd and feminist pioneers like Judy Chicago. “The natural world, with its astonishing beauty and terrifying horrors, man-made inventions with their mind-boggling engineering achievements and destructive atrocities, and the elusive human nature and its various manifestations from the sublime to shocking abominations – to me, they are all intertwined,” explains the artist. Born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 15, 1931, Bontecou honed her skills at the Art Students League in New York under William Zorach and furthered her education at the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Maine, where she mastered the art of welding. Bontecou’s work was showcased at the renowned Leo Castelli Gallery in New York in the 1960s, alongside the likes of celebrated artists such as Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg. Today, her sculptures can be found in esteemed collections including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Bontecou livedd in Orbisonia, Pennsylvania.
Renowned artist Claes Oldenburg (1929-2022) was born in Sweden and raised in the United States, where he pursued his artistic education. His art evolved in the 1960s, establishing him as one of the foremost figures of pop art. Initially inspired by Jean Dubuffet, Oldenburg created collages and assemblages using materials such as cardboard and burlap. He molded these materials into imitations of objects he found on the streets. In the spirit of pop art, his favored subjects were primarily everyday objects and food items. In 1961, he presented a store full of clothes and food made of plaster, available for purchase. His expressions were playful and surprising, yet critical, and were a part of the American version of pop art, which questioned the concept of art itself.
From 1962 onwards, his objects grew larger and often had a disorienting effect. Sometimes, this was due to the scale Oldenburg employed, and sometimes due to the deceptive suggestion of the material. For instance, he crafted a wooden replica of a saw and sculptures in the form of a power outlet using foam rubber and fabric. In this way, he emphasized the properties of these mundane objects by denying them.
In 1965, Oldenburg designed colossal monuments, consisting of greatly magnified mundane objects, placed in existing locations. He depicted these fantasies in collages and drawings, using dramatic perspective to evoke a sense of grandeur. Some of these ideas were brought to life in the 1970s and 1980s. The demands of creating objects for public spaces and the scale at which they were executed made durability a necessary consideration. The materials used may have changed, but the subjects remained banal. A trowel, a clothespin, a screw: these are everyday objects on a heroic scale and location.
David Salle, a modern American artist, showcases his talents through painting, printmaking, and photography. Considered a prominent Neo-Expressionist, his innovative pieces combine a collage of diverse elements, sourced from a multitude of outlets such as magazines, interior design, and art history. His vibrant compositions feature a simplistic yet captivating style, interweaving various figures and patterns. As the artist himself has expressed, “Ever since I began painting, I have strived to capture the fluidity and surprise of image connection, the same simultaneity found in film montage, within the realm of painting.” Originally hailing from Norman, OK in 1952, Salle obtained his BFA and MFA degrees from the esteemed California Institute of the Arts. During his time there, he studied under the renowned Conceptual artist, John Baldessari, whose influence can be seen in Salle’s work to this day. In addition to his studio practice, Salle has become a prolific writer, contributing to notable publications such as Artforum, The Paris Review, and Art News, among others. His illustrious paintings can be found in prestigious collections, notably at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Salle currently resides and produces his art in Brooklyn, NY, continually pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.
Artist/ Author: Oliver Boberg
Title : Memorial
Publisher: Oliver Boberg
Measurements: Frame measures 51 x 42 cm. original C print is 35 x 25 cm.
Condition: mint
signed by Oliver Boberg in pen and numbered 14/20 from an edition of 20
