FTN-blog

Conceptual artist Mischa Kuball has devoted his craft to the realms of public and institutional spheres since 1977. As a master of utilizing light as a medium, he delves into the depths of architectural spaces, exploring social and political discourses. With a keen eye for detail, he reflects on various aspects, from the intricacies of sociocultural structures to the impact of architectural interventions, highlighting and reinterpreting their significance in the grand narrative of architectural history. In his politically motivated participation projects, public and private spaces seamlessly merge, creating an ambiguous whole. Serving as a platform for communication between the audience, the artist, and the artwork itself, these projects bring to life the power and influence of public spaces.

Since 2007, Mischa Kuball has held the esteemed position of Professor for public art at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Prior to that, from 2006 to 2008, he served as a professor for media art at the Hochschule für Gestaltung/ZKM in Karlsruhe. In 2015, he was elected a member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts in Duesseldorf, a prestigious honor befitting his contributions to the artistic world. In 2016, he was awarded the esteemed German Light Award, a testament to his mastery of utilizing light as a medium in his artistic endeavors.

www.ftn-books.com has one Kuball title available

Hélio Oiticica (1937 – 1980) is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s most prominent artists of the twentieth century, serving as a touchstone for contemporary art since the 1960s. His oeuvre is primarily characterized by freewheeling, participatory creations, including performative environments, cutting-edge films, and abstract paintings. At the tender age of 20, Oiticica was already a significant member of the legendary Rio de Janeiro-based Grupo Frente (1954-56), his bold experimentation with geometric shapes and vibrant hues transcending the simplistic lines of European constructivism and imbuing his work with a lively rhythm that echoed the avant-garde music and poetry of his native Brazil. In the late 1950s, Oiticica would continue to emerge as a leading figure of Brazilian Neo-Concretism (1959-61), alongside other groundbreaking artists such as Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape, and poet Ferreira Gullar. This would eventually pave the way for the emergence of the artistic movement known as Tropicalismo, named after Oiticica’s iconic 1967 work.

As time went on, Oiticica became increasingly emblematic of counterculture and an underground hero, prioritizing physical interaction and concerns regarding space and environment over mere aesthetics. As he eloquently stated, “Ambient art is the revolution against the traditional concept of painting and sculpture – things of the past. It gives rise to the creation of ‘ambiences’: from there comes what I call ‘anti-art’,” a concept he would later define as “the era of popular participation in the creative realm.” This generous and dynamic approach would greatly influence future generations of artists, particularly in his noteworthy Parangolés, or “livable paintings,” and comprehensive series of installations known as Núcleos (ceilings adorned with geometric panels, creating gradual chromatic experiences) and Propositions or Penetrables (intricate, maze-like architectural environments constructed with sand and semi-permeable cabins). This multi-sensory approach continued until his unfortunate passing in 1980 at the young age of 42.

www.ftn-books.com has some Oiticica titles available.

The Chinese-Dutch artist has been greatly honored for his illustrations, which have influenced contemporary Dutch illustrators. He has won three Golden Brushes and his interactive picture book “Where is the Cake?” was awarded the 2005 Woutertje Pieterse Prize. In addition, he received the prestigious Max Velthuijsprijs in 2010, the most important Dutch lifetime achievement award for illustrators.

While initially starting out as a comic book artist, Thé Tjong King is best known as a draftsman and illustrator. A true storyteller at heart, he needs a narrative in order to create his art. He has even created several (picture) books without any text, fully allowing himself to unleash his imagination in his illustrations. His narrative drawings are filled with action, a blend of intricate details and seemingly naive depictions that have made his work immensely popular.

www.ftn-books.com has several Tjong Khing items now available.

Bob Lens was a versatile artist proficient in various techniques. His oeuvre encompassed painting, graphic art, photography, video, project art, (interior) architecture, urban planning, portraits, and set design. In collaboration with Ray Staakman, he even developed kinetic objects, showcasing them at an international exhibition in London in 1964. In the 1970s, his paintings depicted themes from everyday life: realistic cityscapes, architecture, and such, in a visual language reminiscent of hyperrealism. But he also created series of stunning landscapes, foliage, and groupings of trees using brush and spray paint. In 1976, the artist exhibited such works at the Haags Gemeentemuseum (Haagse ateliers no. XXXIII), grouped under the term Figurative Abstraction by Philip Peters in the accompanying publication. Later on, Lens’ works showcased stricter compositions and more abstract forms. I recall his masks as two-dimensional spatial objects, at times so abstract in shape that it was a challenge to recognize a human face within them. He even made a video about them, a moving painting of masks following a set pattern. In 1988, the Franklin Furnace gallery in New York organized a mask exhibition called “Bags as Masks.”

Bob Lens had a passion for design. In 1965, he designed a pop art-style tie for the Book Ball, a colossal plaid with striking figures that made waves. After placing ads in Hitweek, he designed more models that sold like hotcakes for three riksen. Several (Hague) bands adorned themselves with his ties. And in passing, he also designed the colorful cover for Barry Hay’s first solo LP. He also created posters for MOJO events and the Haagse CPC Run.

www.ftn-books.com has several Lens publications available.

Johan van Reede embodied the artistry of sculpting, printmaking, photography, and painting. He pursued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. In addition to creating monumental works such as reliefs and murals, he also delved into painting, graphic art, and steel sculptures. In 1991, a comprehensive exhibition of his works was held at the Centre for Visual Arts in Rotterdam. An expansive wall mural was also created by him for Dijkzigt Hospital (Erasmus MC). Rotterdam served as his primary home and workplace, although he also spent time in Sevilla (Spain) and Paris (France) for artistic inspiration, journeying through the Sahara.

Reder sharpened his musical talents in London and Manchester, eventually branching out into the dramatic arts in Paris. He holds a master’s degree with honors in Cultural Memory from the esteemed Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies at the University of London.

www.ftn-books.com has 1 van Reede title available.

Throughout his lifetime, primarily working in his studios in Berlin, Germany and Nong Khai, Thailand, Albrecht Genin (Oldenburg 1945 – Berlin 2013) has built an impressive body of work. Far removed from artistic trends, museums, art critics, and galleries, Genin transformed the realities of life into livable fantasies. From the beginning, Genin chose printed materials such as bibles, law books, maps, sheet music, and cash books as his canvas. His works are visualizations of the stories he encountered during his travels in countries such as Germany, Thailand, and Afghanistan. These journeys across oceans are reflected in his exhibition, Ocean Stories.

Simplicity
Genin’s aim is to simplify the complex world. Not from a philosophical “back to nature” standpoint, but simply because the world is already complex enough. This desire is illustrated in his work. All of his artwork is simplified and directly put onto paper. Genin did not enjoy working on a blank canvas and preferred to use printed materials such as a page from a bible, sheet music, a geographical map, or an old law book.

When using sheet music, Genin would begin with a single line, but then develop it into a figure. The practical size of books gave him the ability to make sketches in Thailand and later expand upon them in his studio in Berlin. In his paper works, Genin primarily used black oil paint or India ink.

He believed that color isolates the development of an image, as opposed to the foundation. Starting with color would distract from the image being formed in black and abstract. Beginning with a black base allows for the focus to remain solely on the composition.

ww.ftn-books.com has several Genin titles available

Lenz Klotz was a prominent figure in informal painting in Basel from the 1950s until 2017. His artistic foundation stemmed from his extensive study of influential artists such as Paul Cézanne, the Cubists, and his mentor Walter Bodmer. Klotz’s unique visual language revolved around fluid and fluctuating lines. Initially influenced by the structured discipline of Cubism, his style progressively evolved into more fluid and dynamic line paintings. By the early 1960s, his lines took on a rhythmic quality, forming vibrant geometrical shapes that evoked calligraphy, musical scores, and other lyrical forms of expression. Klotz’s works are featured in prestigious collections including Kunsthaus Zürich, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Kunstmuseum Basel, and Kunstmuseum Luzern.

www.ftn-books.com has several Klotz titles available.

Matei Negreanu, a critical figure in the international contemporary glass landscape for the past quarter-century, is characterized by transparency and disruptions. These two elements, these two ideas, embody both his creations and his life. Transparency in ambition, materials, emotions, and perseverance. Family, artistic, political, and emotional disruptions.
The artist boldly defies the allure of glass, showing no particular fascination for it. He simply views it as the building blocks of his aspirations.
Matei Negreanu is a researcher in the art world. Once he reaches the end of a path, he does not dawdle; he moves on to a new one, occasionally returning to refine a technique or a previously acquired invention. This may at times be frustrating, but he never repeats himself. His originality constantly astounds. It is the signature of a true artist.
It only took Matei Negreanu three years to make a name for himself in France, featuring in collective exhibits in the glass art scene. He arrived illegally in 1981 after permanently departing from Ceausescu’s silenced Romania. Clara Scremini, Serge and Jean Lechascinski, Sophie and Gérard Capazza were the first to showcase his personal exhibitions. This was followed by favorable reviews in specialized publications, which eventually led to exposure in national newspapers and on television. The rest of his journey followed suit: Amsterdam, New York, Chicago, Sapporo, Montreal, public collections, museums, and even highly anticipated exhibits such as his painting exhibit in Perth, Australia.

These are the milestones of a now esteemed career, a body of work well-established and esteemed for its consistency and harmony. In the transparency of glass, and going beyond deliberate interruptions.

www.ftn-books.com has one Negreanu title available.

From the mid-1970s, Marcel Odenbach has created an extensive body of tapes, performances, drawings and installations, establishing himself as one of Germany’s foremost artists in the realm of video. Through his work, he delves into a thought-provoking discourse on the construction of self in relation to the representations of history and culture.

For Odenbach, identity is rooted in the mysterious realm of sight – both being seen and seeing. By placing himself, and consequently the viewer, in the roles of observer, witness, or voyeur, he undertakes a charged exploration of subjectivity within the realms of personal and cultural memory, individual and collective history, and the past and present.

In his investigation of the construction of self in relation to the psychological and cultural spheres, from male identity and sexuality to the trauma of German history, Odenbach creates a symbolic theater of memory. This includes elements of his own autobiography, as well as appropriated elements from cinema, archives, and mass media. In many of his tapes, he employs a signature technique of dividing the screen into horizontal or vertical panels, serving as a metaphor for the masking and fragmentation of the self. Through this distancing device, he simultaneously limits and expands the viewer’s field of vision, revealing and concealing. Enigmatic and fragmentary images, often seen through censoring black bars or rhythmically juxtaposed in panelled triptychs, form systems of meaning that hint at subconscious associations.

Using a concise and effective approach, works like The Distance Between Myself and My Losses (1983) convey powerful metaphors for the fleeting nature of sight and self-awareness. They shed light on the tense relationship between identity and desire, in the context of history and culture. Odenbach frequently combines symbols of German “high” culture and historical mythologies – classical and Romantic music and opera, Western literature, art history and architecture, archival films – with personal references, elements from non-Western cultures, and images from Hollywood cinema and popular media culture.

www.ftn-books.com has one title on Odenbach’s works now available.

Henkes was a Dutch painter and visual artist.

Henkes grew up in Rotterdam-Katendrecht, where he lived and worked for most of his life, and was a member of the R 33 artists group before World War II. After the war, he had various exhibitions, including at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.

He chose his subjects from the world around him: the people and the port business, portraits, still lifes, landscapes, the devastation in the Rotterdam port, nude studies, and he fulfilled twenty monumental commissions.

By will, he left his studio collection of paintings and thousands of works on paper to the state; it is managed by the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency.

www.ftn-books.com has some Henkes titles available