Tag: art

Yona Friedman is renowned as an influential figure in the avant-garde urbanism movement of the 1960s. His most notable contribution is the idea of a Spatial City, also known as “La Ville Spatiale” (1956), which aimed to offer the utmost flexibility through the use of “megastructures” placed above existing cities and other locations. The inhabitants would have the opportunity to design their own living spaces within these structures. Friedman’s goal was to equip people from all corners of the world with the tools and foundational structures necessary to shape their own living environments, empowering them with greater independence and self-reliance.

www.ftn-books.com has the scarce FRIEDMAN book published by NAi now available.

Since the mid 1960s, Giampaolo Babetto has been a leading figure in the Avant-Garde goldsmiths’ scene. As one of the renowned veterans of the Padua School, he has greatly influenced the world of art jewellery in Italy and beyond. His artistic range extends beyond jewellery, encompassing silver objects, furniture design, and architectural projects.

Each piece of jewellery I create becomes a part of me. It is a constant challenge because it must be a living object, not just a display piece, and it must radiate even more beauty when adorned on a woman’s neck, wrist, or fingers. – Giampaolo Babetto

Babetto’s work is a reflection of various contemporary art movements such as concrete art, minimal art, kinetic art, and pop art, all created with a purist and plastic approach. His designs are instantly recognizable for their simplicity and clean lines. He draws inspiration from the architecture of his homeland, particularly the villas by Palladio, and finds poetic beauty in geometry. His jewellery is innovative, made up of abstract elements, modular units, or ingenious links, giving them an architectural or sculptural quality. Babetto’s preferred medium is gold, known for its malleability and warm sheen, which he combines with unconventional materials like plastic, glass, and ebony. He also incorporates vibrant primary colors like red and blue through dusted pigments or uses enamel and traditional niello-based techniques. These materials serve to highlight and contrast the increasingly pure and essential geometrical forms that are synonymous with the Padua School.

The artist attains an individual artistic lexicon in which the utilization of geometric shapes is directed towards complete minimalism, with keen attention on the concept stripped of all mere ornamentation. For Babetto, the approach is systematic, introspective, and logical; its execution, on the other hand, is impulsive, swift, and impassioned. “I am a fusion of rationality and spontaneity. When a concept or idea consumes my mind, I strive to actualize it in the most direct manner possible. Once I have discovered the mechanism, I dedicate myself entirely to its swift achievement.” The outcome is compositions brought to the farthest point of form and line, enabling viewers to instantly perceive the formal tension and impact of the design. Each one exudes his passions, his adoration for architecture, and his exceptional eye for detail.

www.ftn-books.com has one Babetto publication available.

A true artist is capable of reinventing themselves, exploring paths that breathe new life into their artistic expression. Herman Bogman (1890-1975) did just that. His career can be neatly divided into two distinct parts. The young Bogman painted in oil, but around his fiftieth year, he boldly abandoned the medium. For the remaining 35 years of his life, he produced almost exclusively watercolor paintings. This is where his true mastery lies. While his oil paintings were skillfully crafted pieces that attracted eager buyers, his watercolors were on a much higher level. They were boldly painted, with a sparkling play of light, and in a subtle palette. The smaller pieces possess a great deal of intimacy, while the larger compositions are boldly composed.

Bogman frequently discussed his new beginning in interviews:

“You simply didn’t know what could be achieved with watercolor. It wasn’t until I turned fifty that I permanently closed my paint box. Watercolor can have the same ‘carrying ability’, the same depth of color as paint on canvas. But I had to work very hard for it. Why were we so attached to oil paint in the Netherlands? I believe it’s because of our thoroughness. We were completely mistaken…”

And that feeling was correct. In the last 35 years of his life, he would create the most beautiful part of his body of work using this technique.

www.ftn-books.com has currently 2 Bogman titles available.

As promissed. the 2 gouches that resemble too much to keep both in my collection so i decided to sell one. Both are of equal quality so for me it does not matter which one is sold.

Fahrettin Örenli (1969, Turkey) is what one would call a socially conscious artist. From environmental pollution to the expansion of the EU, the Amsterdammer, originally from Turkey, is invested in current affairs and takes a critical stance in his work. His project “Shadows of Dust,” to which this piece belongs, delves into the growth and development of a city. According to Örenli, modernizing countries sometimes change so rapidly that they seem to forget their past, their history. This is often evident in the urban landscape, as all traces of the past are often erased in the process of renewal. How should he, as a contemporary artist, relate to these ever-rushing developments? Can his work still be considered contemporary? Or is it outdated at the moment of its creation? Örenli’s computer-generated drawing, Shadows of Dust off IX (Buddha) (2015), in which he created a sort of surrealistic fantasy island, explores what was and what is yet to come. Is this our future? www.ftn-books.com has the A TOURIST IN LIFE publication now available