Thomas Schütte

thomas schütte

Thomas Schütte

    Since the late 1970s—when he studied with renowned German artist Gerhard Richter—Thomas Schütte has been subverting traditional art historical genres through his eclectic output of sculptures, prints, installations, drawings, watercolors, and photographs. Schütte makes familiar forms of expression, like memorial portraiture and figurative sculpture, strange through evocative, often disturbing alterations, such as in his treatment of the female nude in his “Bronzefrauen” series (Bronze Women, 1999-ongoing) where figurative shapes morph into abstract or mutant forms, or his “Alte Freunde” series, in which the subjects’ despondent expressions highlight the vulnerability of the individual against the cruelty and complexity of the vast world. Through his work he explores the human condition, offering a critical perspective on social, cultural, and political issues and visually eloquent commentary on memory, loss, and the difficulty of memorializing the past.

    On a visit to the Konrad Fischer Galerie in 2016, Rolf Fehlbaum discovered the model of a log cabin conceived by Thomas Schütte. Fascinated by the structure, Fehlbaum asked the artist if he could imagine a full-scale realisation of the project on the Vitra Campus. In 2018, the Blockhaus became the newest building on the company premises, forming a contrast to the architectural works by other figures. On the occasion of the official opening, the artist Thomas Schütte offered insights into his work.

    The Blockhaus is a hybrid structure – both object and functional space – and the first architectural work on the Vitra Campus that was created by an artist. How does this project diverge from the approach and implementation of other buildings on the premises?

    ”I think the main difference is that I didn’t have to fulfil any expectations. If someone orders a hotdog, I can bring him a steak. Or even just a bottle of water. I am not financially involved in the realisation of the project, so I don’t have an ego problem. And I don’t have a signature style. Basically, I’m presenting an idea, and most of the time the idea is realised in a way that is ten times better than expected. But you still never know. I have good friends who are architects, and they are happy when I can work with them, because then they have a completely free hand in the project’s implementation. Normally an architect can’t do very much, because the banks and financial backers make the decisions. But the main difference still lies in the fact that I am not bound by such constraints; I can define the task myself.”

    ‘It was the most crooked, and the most unrealistic wooden bricolage that was amongst the choices. And I think the reason is, it’s so different from the other buildings that it makes some sense.’ Thomas Schütte, responding to a question from Rolf Fehlbaum, who discovered a model of the Blockhaus at a gallery.

published in : www.artsy.net

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

    Far from saturating or confounding the senses, these antagonistic statements in mass, form and texture are harmoniously combined into a sculptural composition aided by the mirrored ceilings and the mellow daylight filtering in from the building’s glass facade.

    More than an architectural gesture of minimalist elegance, the contradictory sensibility of DOMANI’s interior design poetically alludes to the complexity of the female identity and the intricacies of contemporary feminism, as well as reflects the antagonistic yet symbiotic relationship of external and internal beauty.

    The sculptural quality of the interior design is primarily based on the collection of bespoke furniture by A&V, the studio’s design brand, which range from slender, undulating brass benches and razor-thin brass table tops that seem to be suspended mid-air thanks to a glass base, to the deconstructed composition of concrete volumes in the lounge area. The latter is a sculptural installation of abstract expressionism but it’s also a metaphor for the complexity of the female psyche: softly curved and delicately sculpted yet heavyset and robust with “damaged” spots that represent the “scars in the historical evaluation of feminism”.

    Smooth concrete surfaces, polished brass furnishings and mirrored ceilings that echo the design language of the public areas imbue the rooms with a soothing, hypnotic ambience that aid relaxation. Meanwhile, above the treatment beds, undulating mirrored panels that evoke rippling water greet guests as they open their eyes after a treatment which can also be construed as a clever retelling of the myth of Narcissus: unlike the doomed youth who looked sadly down into the water, guests at Meunier look up at their reflection with a sense of elation

    Headquartered in Guangzhou, China, DOMANI has committed to providing creativity and design for each forward-looking customer in architecture, interior and products since its inception in 2005. We devise a high-level integrated, sustainable commercial design that exceed the client’s expectations. With high premium space works, our energy and competency have attained remarkable market feedbacks. Awarded by prestigious international prizes, we have consistently ranked amongst the top architecture and integrated design studios in Asia.

    DOMANI adheres to a rigorous professional attitude. We are a team of diverse talents, working alongside a great number of other specialist consultants. Through comprehensive project management, we strive for the best in various architecture projects. All of our responsible design solutions reflect an international perspective.

 

written by : Richard Misso
4 December 2020
published in : designaddictsplatform.com.au

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

ARCHISTYLE

ARCHISTYLE

   Frederico Babina is an Italian architect and graphic designer who creates artwork that focuses on the abstract replications of famous imagery and buildings. Through a strong focus on geometry and form his work represents a sense of innocence, inexperience and spontaneity throughout.

for his latest series ‘ARCHISTYLE’, Italian artist Federico Babina forms a categorical summary of some of the major architectural movements, expressed thorough simple graphic gestures.

the collection of 16 images illustrates the evolution and transformation of building styles from the last century from deconstructivism to art deco. the compositions are formed by minimal geometries, a deliberate use of color, mention of materials, typographic choices and drawn decorations.

‘architecture changes with society, follows the society, and sometimes guides it,’ says babina. ‘it’s easy to see the changes of the society through the mutation of the spaces we inhabit

walking through a contemporary city we can often observe sequences of buildings with different shapes, various styles and heterogeneous languages that coexist in an architectural (dis)order. they are like the pieces of a mosaic that relates the passage of time. it is not difficult to see an art deco building that touches a deconstructivist structure in a timeless embrace.’

published in : ARCHISTYLE – federico babina

ARCHISTYLE​

italian artist federico babina forms a categorical summary of some of the major architectural movements, expressed thorough simple graphic gestures. the collection of 16 images illustrates the evolution and transformation of building styles from the last century from deconstructivism to art deco.