Hailing from Euskadi, Pedro Zamorano was a latecomer to the world of sculpture, embarking on his artistic journey during his time in Hondarribi in the early 1980s. It was in this vibrant community that he discovered Basque sculpture, and it was through his visits to the studio of Remigio Mendiburu and the workshops of his friend Nino Barriuso, where the works of renowned artists such as Jorge Oteiza and Nestor Basterrechea piqued his curiosity. Witnessing the remarkable transformation of stone and wood into works of art ignited a deep interest within him, which would eventually become his life’s calling.
According to Pedro Zamorano, the foundations of each piece and its physical features are not the sole determinants of a sculpture’s essence.
He asserts that the material used is crucial in giving form and individuality to a sculpture. This belief reflects his approach and methodology in his craft.
Since the late 1960s, Dale Chihuly has been revolutionizing the art and craft of glassblowing, concocting dynamic, flamboyant, color-saturated forms that push this ubiquitous material far beyond utilitarian ends, including his signature, massing chandeliers. His works, seen across the U.S. and worldwide, include individual pieces ranging from undulating, nested vessels to whimsical sea creatures, and encompassing architectural installations. He bases his multidisciplinary approach upon teamwork, with up to 18 people working at a time, and draws from architecture and design, painters and sculptors, Native American baskets, and nature. As Chihuly describes, in terms reflecting his egalitarian attitude: “My feeling is that it doesn’t make any difference if the work is called art or craft or design…If they go into the museum, which has everything from native masks to painting, these objects become equals—one really isn’t more important than another.”
The first time i encountered a work by Chihuly for real was at the entrance of the Bellagio hotel / Las Vegas and since i have been collecting publications by Chihuly of which some are available at http://www.ftn-books.com and i now added a new title on his SEAFORMS. (includes DVD)
Cees Bantzinger was a Dutch painter, illustrator and comic artist. He was born in Gouda, and attended art school in Amsterdam, where he developed an interest in drawing live models. He subsequently attended the Royal Academy of Visual Arts, and spent some time in the Montparnasse area of Paris. He traveled through Belgium, Switzerland and Italy, where he picked up influences from the Bauhaus movement. In the meantime he had begun his career as an illustrator with De Groene Amsterdammer in 1936. He became one of the country’s best known illustrators for daily and weekly magazines, together with Eppo Doeve and Jo Spier.
Bantzinger worked for the underground press during World War II, together with Bert Bakker and Fokke Tamminga. They formed the Mansarde press, that also attracted writers like Bertus Aafjes, Ab Visser and Ferdinand Borderwijk. Bantzinger also made a comic strip called ‘Knobbel’ for magazine De Narrenkap during this period.
After the War, Bantzinger became known for his portraits of actors and actresses in theaters. His fine art also often featured Chinese people and women. He made illustrations for publications like Elseviers Weekblad, Vrij Nederland, Mandril and Het Vrije Volk. Bantzinger was an avid travler, and made many journeys in Greece, Portugal and France, where he made drawings of locals and court scenes.
His wife was Dutch singer Jetty Pearl, who had been one of the voices of Radio Oranje during the War. In the 1980s it became known through research by Adriaan Venema that Bantzinger had been a member of the NSB, and that he had made portraits of German officers. Despite his later work for the resistance, Bantzinger felt so ashamed of this fact that he drowned himself in the river Amstel shortly afterwards.
Fiona Tan, a renowned visual artist and filmmaker, has gained acclaim for her masterfully crafted video and film installations. Within these works, she delves into the complexities of memory, identity, and the power of visual imagery. Her art has been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions at esteemed international venues. In fact, she has written and directed three feature length films to date. Notably, her solo exhibitions have graced prestigious locations such as the Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, and the Kunsthalle Krems in Austria. Her work has also been showcased at the Museum Ludwig Cologne, the Museum für Modern Kunst in Frankfurt, Mudam in Luxembourg, Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo, and The BALTIC in Gateshead, UK. In addition, her installations have been featured at MAXXI in Rome and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Tan’s remarkable talent was recognized on a global scale when she represented The Netherlands at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 with her solo presentation, Disorient. Her work has also been featured in various international group exhibitions, including the São Paulo Biennial, Venice Architecture Biennale, Documenta IX, and the Istanbul Biennale. Her artistry can be found in numerous public and private collections worldwide, such as the Tate Modern in London, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Neue National Galerie in Berlin, and the MCA in Chicago.
With a dedication to weaving perplexity and liveliness into her works, Tan continuously pushes the boundaries of art. Through the use of unconventional vocabulary and eloquent English, she strives to create a unique and captivating experience for her audience. In her process, she deftly integrates synonyms and antonyms, while also employing similes to replace conventional statements and further enhance the texture of her compositions.
Following his alternative military service at the State Psychiatric Institution in Eindhoven, Sanders pursued evening education at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague from 1953 to 1958. He specialized in the direction of ‘illustrative’ and graduated with distinction. Until 1959, Sanders resided and worked in The Hague, and in the same year, he also attended the painting class of Kees Bol in Waddinxveen. His repertoire includes silkscreen prints, paintings, drawings, linocuts, and etchings, and until 1964, he worked as a display artist for the department store company Vroom and Dreesmann.
In 1965, he moved to the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands to the town of Stiphout. From 1964 to 1973, Sanders was a drawing teacher at the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven, and from 1980 to 1986, he taught painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague. From 1990 onwards, Sanders lived in different places, including Exloërmond (1990-1992), Montignac-sur-Vézère (1992-1995), Bellingwolde (1995-2001), Bad Nieuweschans (2001-2005), and finally, Oude Pekela (2005-2010).
During his alternative military service, Sanders met fellow conscientious objector Frank Letterie in 1950, whom he encouraged to take up drawing. In 2003, Sanders and Letterie, who had become a sculptor, exhibited their works together at De Buitenplaats in Eelde.
Theater ‘t Speelhuis In October 2007, an exhibition of Sanders’ work was opened in the Speelhuis in Helmond. In honor of this event, the booklet “Har Sanders en Helmond” was released. In the theater hall of the Speelhuis, there was a tent-like painting covering the wall and ceiling, giving the illusion of being inside a tent. Sanders created this monumental work in 1972 in collaboration with architect Piet Blom. Unfortunately, the artwork was destroyed in a fire on December 29, 2011, at Theater ‘t Speelhuis in Helmond.
Crafted by the renowned designers Charles and Ray Eames in 1956, the iconic Eames Lounge Chair boasts a modern reinterpretation of the traditional English club chair. With a keen eye for both ergonomics and premium materials, the Eames duo aspired to create a spacious armchair that exudes elegance and offers unparalleled comfort. After years of innovation, they succeeded in crafting a flawless lounge chair that surpassed the popularity of the typical club chair, featuring a lighter weight and refined craftsmanship. And the result? It was nothing short of exceptional.
The Eames Lounge Chair, expertly manufactured by Swiss brand Vitra, boasts a sturdy metal swivel base, a pressed plywood frame with a luxurious veneer finish, and plush leather cushions for the ultimate comfort experience. Its design is complemented by the equally stunning Lounge Ottoman, which features the same flowing aesthetic as its iconic counterpart. Combined, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman make the perfect pair, offering unmatched comfort for relaxation, reading, or even working on your laptop.
The renowned duo of Ray and Charles Eames, celebrated names in modern design, have left an indelible mark in the world of architecture. Charles Eames, native to St. Louis, Missouri, was born in 1907. He honed his skills in architecture at the esteemed University of Washington and furthered his education at Cranbrook Academy of Arts, Michigan in 1940, at the invitation of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen.
During his time at Cranbrook, Eames crossed paths with the prolific Eero Saarinen, with whom he formed a formidable partnership and participated in the prestigious MoMA competition called “Organic Design in Home Furnishing.” Utilizing an innovative plywood molding technique pioneered by Alvar Aalto, Eames and Saarinen emerged victorious in the contest. It was during this time at Cranbrook that Charles Eames also met his future wife, Ray, and the two tied the knot in 1941.
The Vitra publication on the Eames Lounge Chair is now available at www.ftn-books.com
Toine Horvers was brought forth into this world in the year 1947 in Loon op Zand. His intellectual pursuits led him to the prestigious Academy of Visual Arts in Tilburg from 1965 to 1970. Continuing his studies, he honed his craft at the esteemed Theater School in Amsterdam. Upon completing his education in 1979, his artistic manifestations took on a tangible form. In his performance art, he intricately explored the movements of the human body. Horvers drew inspiration from ballet lessons, theater classes, and the evolution of performance, conceptual, and minimalist art. He incorporated other art forms such as drawing, with language playing a crucial role in his works.
Initially, Horvers focused exclusively on performance art, moving with the precision of a sculptor. He imbued his works with the traditional elements of sculpture like rhythm, mass, and volume, while also infusing his own unique touch of performance art through movement and duration. In his performances, Horvers explored the boundaries of the natural laws, giving great attention to the force of gravity. As both the creator and the subject, the movements of his body and the formations of his muscles were at the forefront. Other elements added to enhance his performances were steel and lighting. Notably, Marcus Bergner reviewed Horvers’ BBC performances titled DAY am/pm (2015), stating, “At the core of these performances, one can recognize the power of the voice in provoking and revealing original, yet enigmatic moments of presence. As psychoanalyst Denis Vasse aptly puts it, ‘The voice is never represented, it represents, it is the act of presence which represents itself.'” According to Bergner, Horvers’ performance art is centered around the voice, which holds the ability to evoke genuine and cryptic moments of presence. www.ftn-books.com has 2 scarce Horvers items now available.
Lomography, a technique in analog photography, evokes our inner creativity. Capturing a moment without overthinking to ensure the essence of creativity. This gave rise to the brand Lomography. But how? In 1982, General Igor Kornitzky threw a Japanese compact camera on the desk of his friend Michail, who was then the director of the Lomo Russian Arms and Optical factory. They immediately recognized the potential in the camera and commissioned the LOMO factory to develop it. In 1984, the camera went into mass production and quickly spread through Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Cuba. In 1991, a group of students in Prague discovered the camera and were immediately intrigued, thus leading to the establishment of the Lomography Society (LSI) in 1992. This paved the way for the opening of more galleries and the global distribution of the cameras.
Knud Odde was born in 1955 and received his education as a librarian at Research Libraries (1974-78). He further studied literature at the University of Copenhagen (1976-77) and made a mark as a composer and bassist in the band Sods/Sort Sol. As an artist, he is self-taught and made his debut in 1982 at Charlottenborg’s Autumn Exhibition.
Since then, he has exhibited in numerous contexts both nationally and internationally, including at the Esbjerg Art Museum, HEART, Kastrupgårds Collection, Ystad Art Museum, DAC Gallery, New York, Praxis Hagen, Berlin, and Art Cologne, Cologne. Odde has received several grants and awards from the Danish Arts Foundation (1990, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2009) as well as the Oluf Hartmann Memorial Grant (1995) and the Henry Heerup Grant (1995). His works are represented in, among others, Trapholt, Vejle Art Museum, the Danish Museum of Art and Design, the New Carlsberg Foundation and the Danish Arts Foundation. In addition, he has created decorations for Rødovre Gymnasium and posters for Tivoli, DSB, and Ringkøbing Jazz Festival, just to name a few. Knud Odde is a member of the Artists’ Society, the Danish Visual Artists’ Association, and Corner (2009).
About the Art There is an ambiguity lurking in Knud Odde’s pictures, but one thing is certain: they are recognizable from a distance. Whether it is his paintings or graphic works, they are characterized by the same powerful expression, which is due in no small part to Odde’s distinctive feature: the bold, black contour line.
With his background as a multimedia artist, Knud Odde draws inspiration from many sources. With a fondness for the media reality of the 20th century, myths and icons, he cross-cuts different traditions, eras and genres, all united by a continuing fascination with the darker sides of the human psyche. As a cultural-historical, but also personal, gallery of fate, his pictures are full of both real and fictitious characters from the worlds of film, music, and literature.
www.ftn-books.com has the Malinovsky/ Odde publication by Willy Schoots now available.
Born in 1957, Lise Malinovsky received her education first at the School of Applied Arts and then at the Academy of Fine Arts. As early as 1982, while still a student at the Academy, she made her mark with her virtuosic pastiches at Charlottenborg’s Spring Exhibition. Here, she showcased her grounding in both fauvism and art history dating back to the Baroque period. While her works were not as wild as those of her contemporaries, there is – and still is to this day – a vibrant vitality and expressiveness in her spontaneous expression, especially through her bold colors and gestural brushstrokes. Lise Malinovsky’s artistic language is sensual and tactile, and while she has a clear message for the viewer, the subject is subordinate to her urge to express herself through painting. She has created a wide range of decorations and has also painted portraits, including that of former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. Lise Malinovsky resides and works in both Denmark and Spain, constantly infusing her art with enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism that captivates viewers.
www.ftn-books.com has now the Willy Scvhoots publication on Malinovsky available.
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
