Eusebio Sempere (3 April 1923 – 10 April 1985) was a Spanish craftsman, illustrator and visual engineer whose unorthodox yet profound designs established him as the most exemplary creator of the Kinetic art movement in Spain and one of its prominent luminaries. His implementation of recurring lines and mastery of hues to manipulate light’s play on the surface furnish depth to his picturesque compositions.
Born in Onil, Alicante, Spain, Sempere embarked on his academic journey at the School of Fine Arts of San Carlos de Valencia, where he delved into painting, sketching, and assorted etching techniques. Due to a childhood ailment, he was left with restricted sight in his right eye.
Sempere’s oeuvre is characterized by the conceptualization of its components, geometric iteration and linearity, all of which amalgamated into his amalgamation of Op Art and constructivism, infused with fragments of kinetic art.
His personal imprint on the advancement of kinetic art is his repertoire of intangible geometric structures that exhibit the optical illusions of vibration and motion. Illumination also features prominently in his artistic ventures. Perhaps influenced by sources from Levantine origins, Sempere employs it as the principal unit to bring order to his creations seamlessly. His canvases are perceived as two-dimensional plains, where the artisan expertly manipulates visual elements—the light, the hues, and the shades—to achieve the perceptual and optical phenomena, transmuting them into suggestive iterations of geometric forms.
Daniel Pflumm functions as a pivotal figure in the vivacious cultural milieu and subterranean club scene of Berlin during the dynamic 1990s. Pflumm played an integral part in the progression of embodying and engrossing oneself in the aftermath of capitalism’s conquest of the former East; a crucial discourse between the production of electronic music, artistry, and the aesthetic of corporations. Employing a strategized approach of situationist détournement, Pflumm cultivated a form of Pop Art, utilizing digital techniques to highlight the minimalist and abstract influence of corporate and mass media visuals.
In Berlin, Pflumm established the renowned clubs Elektro (1992-1994) and Panasonic (1995-1997), alongside a techno label, Elektro Music Department (EMD). It is within the unique environment of these clubs that Pflumm initially conceptualized and incorporated light boxes that dissected corporate logos devoid of their identifying names, paired with TV screens playing absurd video-loops of corporate logos and advertisements synchronizing to the club’s music.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1916, Departing from this world in Tokyo, Japan, in 1985,
YU-ICHI (1916-1985) stands as a towering figure among Japanese artists of the 20th century, often mentioned in the same breath as renowned names such as Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Pierre Alechinsky, and Henri Michaux. Notably, Herbert Read, a prominent critic, dedicates a section to YU-ICHI in his seminal work “A Concise History of Modern Painting,” including a notable painting by the artist. Even Robert Motherwell pays him tribute in his notes, hailing him as one of the few great artists of the latter half of the 20th century.
While YU-ICHI’s participation in documenta II at Kassel in 1959, and exhibitions at venues such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden in 1963, and the Galerie Zwirner in Cologne in 1965 certainly elevated his popularity, he shunned regular exhibitions, choosing instead to channel his energy into the artistic and creative process. His self-critical approach to his work, and his tendency to destroy anything he deemed “inferior,” resulted in his entire collection being showcased in a three-volume catalogue.
YU-ICHI exudes his artistic energy through logographic “kanji” characters, using them as a medium to convey his artistic message and express his internal state. His focus lies not on the aesthetics of the characters, but rather on the uninhibited manifestation of his inner power through his writing. He breaks away from traditional calligraphy, opting for a radical, expressive style. His talent gained international recognition early on, evident from his participation in prestigious exhibitions: Kassel; National Museum of Modern Art, Tôkyô and Kyôto; Museum of Modern Art, New York; and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
www.ftn-books.com has one f the most important titles from his career now available.
Jean Dunand stands as a significant and influential artist of the Art Deco period, choosing to express his creativity through multiple media, such as sculpture, lacquerwork, and jewelry.
Born as Jules John Dunand in Petit-Lancy, Switzerland in 1877, he later changed his name to Jean in 1909. Growing up in a family of goldsmiths, it was no surprise that Dunand was drawn to the decorative arts. He honed his skills at the École des Arts Industriels de Genève, focusing on sculpture and metalwork. When he moved to Paris, he became an apprentice to renowned sculptor Jean Dampt. Dunand’s first exhibition was at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900.
Not content with sticking to one medium, Dunand began to experiment with various techniques and materials, eventually venturing into dinanderie work. His preferred material was copper, and his exquisite pieces were regularly displayed at the Salon de la Nationale des Beaux Arts and the Salon d’Automne. In 1904, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs acquired one of his dinanderie vases for their permanent collection, solidifying his reputation as a master of the art.
However, it was Dunand’s lacquer work that has etched his name into history. In 1912, he met Japanese artist Seizo Sugawara, who played a crucial role in shaping Dunand’s craft. Hailing from a village renowned for its lacquerware, Sugawara shared his expertise with Dunand, and in turn, Dunand passed on his knowledge of other decorative arts. With great determination, Dunand quickly absorbed all that Sugawara had to offer, filling numerous booklets with meticulous notes in just two short months. Despite its complexity, Dunand was not one to shy away from mastering the art of lacquer, and he did just that.
Retaining his legacy as an enigmatic artist, Jean Dunand’s mastery of various media, his pursuit of perfection, and his collaboration with fellow artisans all contribute to the captivating complexity and linguistic dynamism of his work. Thus, he remains one of the most revered figures of the Art Deco movement.
The earlier works of this artist exemplify the Art Nouveau period’s fascination with Japonisme, incorporating naturalistic motifs and elements. Repoussé and chasing techniques were utilized, as well as inlays of differently colored metals. However, as time passed and preferences shifted, the artist began to embrace geometric patterns and smooth surfaces, reflecting the growing interest in African Art and Cubism. This shift in style has become synonymous with the Art Deco movement. The artist also experimented with coquille d’oeuf, a painstaking technique of using tiny pieces of broken eggshell to create intricate patterns in lacquer.
With a desire to expand the market for this Eastern art form in France, the artist utilized lacquer not only in traditional objects, such as vases and small figurines, but also in portraiture, furniture, wall panels, and jewelry. The artist’s wide cuff bracelets and narrow circular neck collars, adorned with red, black, and yellow lacquer, became iconic Art Deco jewels, famously worn by Josephine Baker. The demand for the artist’s lacquerware was so high that he had to expand his workshop multiple times, eventually employing over 100 individuals. Notably, the artist received commissions to create large-scale lacquer works for luxury ocean liners, including the SS Île de France and SS Normandie. For the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs, he designed an entire room for the French Embassy, now considered a national treasure and owned by the French Government.
Sadly, the artist passed away in 1942, leaving behind a remarkable body of work that is still greatly admired and highly sought after today.
Alicia Penalba commenced her education as a teacher at the Buenos Aires School of Fine Arts in 1930, where she completed her studies with a diploma in drawing and painting. She participated in several group exhibitions and received some national awards for her figurative work.
In 1948, Alicia Penalba left for Paris with a scholarship, enrolling at the Académie des Beaux-Arts. From 1949 onwards, she spent 3 years working at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in the studio of Ossip Zadkine. In 1951, she created her first abstract sculpture and destroyed almost all of her previous work. Her first group exhibition took place in 1955 at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, and her first solo show was held in 1957 at the Galerie du Dragon in Paris.
In the 1950s and 1960s, she gained international recognition for her work. She was invited to exhibit at documenta II in 1959 and documenta III in 1964 in Kassel, and she won the sculpture prize at the São Paulo Biennial in 1961. Her works, mostly abstract bronze sculptures inspired by forms found in nature, were featured in numerous international exhibitions. One of her well-known pieces is Grande double, of which one copy (1/4) has been on display at the sculpture park of the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo since 1965.
Alicia Penalba resided and worked in France for the majority of her life, in Montrouge and Paris. She passed away in a train accident in 1982.
Peter Reder, a British artist born in London in 1960, delves into the realms of theatre, performance, and installation. His oeuvre is imbued with the exploration of history and memory, evident in renowned projects such as City of Dreams and a series of on-site, immersive productions situated in museums, galleries, and historic sites throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. Among the platforms that have showcased his prolific work are the Brighton Festival, Battersea Arts Centre, Traverse Theatre, Somerset House, the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Colliseum in Bucharest, the Gammage Auditorium in Arizona, the National Museum of Singapore, the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, La Laboral in Spain, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Ottawa. In 2005, his work was proudly featured in the prestigious British Council Showcase in Edinburgh.
Reder’s academic career began with his intensive study of music in London and Manchester, preceding his pursuit of drama studies in Paris. Equipped with a master’s degree (with honours) in Cultural Memory from the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies at the University of London, Reder has honed his craft and continues to captivate audiences with his thought-provoking and poignant works.
Michael Ryan (*1953) has been alternating between his home country of America and the Netherlands since 1981. Initially led towards impressionism by his classical training in New York, he expresses a particular interest in color and composition. As a lover of poetry and music, he infuses these influences into his work, leading him to the city, concert hall, and theater, but also to cafes and streets where, in the evening light, images of people and buildings fade into contours and abstractions.
Returning briefly to the endless silence of “upstate New York,” Ryan rediscovers the landscape. In the paintings that result, he eliminates details and compresses trees, earth, and sky into almost geometric abstractions. These become poignant images, captivating compositions that seem to contrast with his city paintings.
For artist Michael Ryan, the difference between the city and the countryside is not significant. He observes and studies the world around him to solve a painting problem on the canvas. It is not a depiction of reality that is important, but the representation of his reality.
The painting does not prove, it shows. There is no story, no lesson or message; there is only a painting that pretends to be nothing more than convincingly itself.
The act of creating a work and its contemplation by the viewer are two distinct processes. The imposition of titles on my work could potentially steer the viewer in their perception and experience. By leaving my work UNTITLED, I grant the viewer complete freedom to interpret and experience it.
Painting is a process of synthesizing countless experiences. These experiences can be gained from nature, museum visits, and browsing through art books and magazines. The act of observing and being open to all forms of imagery can influence the painting process and yield new images.
This broad openness and desire to process all forms of imagery can create a strong contrast within a work, intentionally sought after. It is a process of making opposites work together, embracing the adventure. Opposites that question one another.
The deliberate seeking out of contradictions within the realm of painting is what I want to explore. By repeating the same subject with different approaches, series often emerge.
I usually do not work with a fully developed plan, I prefer to be surprised and react to each emerging result by either continuing or stopping.
For this exhibition, I have chosen works from 1997 until the present. Small clusters from different years will be presented. As previously written by Rob Schoonen in the ED, following my book presentation at the De Pont Museum in Tilburg in 2018: “They are all true Loerakkers.”
Wijnand Zijlmans heeft een passie voor natuursteen. Steen gaat terug tot het verste verleden en heeft al een lange reis achter de rug voordat de beeldhouwer er nieuwe dimensies aan verleent. Wijnand Zijlmans maakt de steen transparant en meditatief. Tegelijkertijd laat hij de massiviteit en het poëtische van de steen zien en raakt zo de kern van het natuurlijke materiaal. Hij laat ons de steen van binnen en van buiten zien. De steen is afwisselend hard en zacht, donker en licht, ruw tegendraads gehakt en satijnzacht gepolijst, rafelig en golvend, sterk in beweging en intens verstild. De huid weerkaatst en absorbeert, neemt op en laat weer gaan. Net zoals een dichter in slechts een paar woorden de essentie weet te vangen, vat hij alles in één stuk steen samen. De beelden zijn een grote aanwezigheid voor wie zich daarvoor openstelt. Ze zijn rustbakens in het hectische leven van alledag, verstilde momenten waardoor de mensen weer even tot zichzelf kunnen komen. Ze geven aanleiding tot bespiegeling en verdieping van het zelf. Er gebeurt iets in het beeld en tussen het beeld en de beschouwer. Voor Wijnand Zijlmans is dit van groot belang, voor hem is het leven één groot uitdagend, complex en intens bouwwerk, als een stapeling, waarbij we bij voortduring op zoek zijn naar de juiste balans.
Leo Vroegindeweij (1955, NL) is renowned as one of the most innovative contemporary artists, operating at the intersection of formal and conceptual vocabulary. Concepts such as uncontrolled circumstances; time and space; and a masterful interpretation of the notions of scale and dimension have become Vroegindeweij’s natural tools throughout his 45 years as a sculptor.
The works of Vroegindeweij grace numerous museum collections and exhibitions. In 2015, the Kröller-Müller Museum added his monumental work from 1992 to its sculpture park. His Apollolaan installation was recognized as a crucial contribution to the Amsterdam Sculpture Biennial ARTZUID 2017, curated by Rudi Fuchs, former director of the Stedelijk Museum. Vroegindeweij, recipient of the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1985, was affiliated with the prominent avant-garde gallery Art & Project, 1968-2001, and has since played a prominent role in group and institutional retrospectives of Dutch art. Vroegindeweij resides and works in Amsterdam and Méligny-le-Grand, FR.
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
