Raphaël Bouvier

Affinities and contrasts in the work of two icons of modern sculpture In terms of modern sculpture, there are few artists who can claim the same level of influence as Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) and Hans "Jean" Arp (1886-1966). Rodin's naturalistic rather than decorative approach to sculpture revolutionized the field in the late 19th century, while Arp prompted another wave of experimentation in the early 1900s with his abstract sculpture. In this volume, the oeuvres of both pioneers are placed in conversation with one another to demonstrate their artistic affinities as well as their creative contrasts. As Rodin moved away from the preeminent trends of mythological allegory in order to focus on the organic elegance of the human figure, he eventually approached an Impressionistic style. Arp, as an early member of the Dadaist movement, reinterpreted many of the trends brought forth by Rodin, emphasizing abstraction as a means for conveying pathos. This publication allows readers to appreciate the evolution of both artists individually and in the context of art history as a whole: as sculptural milestones, the creations of Rodin and Arp provide a vivid illustration of fundamental developments in modern sculpture stylistically and ideologically. Curator Raphaël Bouvier provides textual insight along with several other acclaimed art scholars, including Catherine Chevillot, Director of the Musée Rodin.

Rodin / Arp

Fondation Beyeler

Odilon Redon's oeuvre marks the threshold between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, and thus also represents the interplay between tradition and innovation. Fractures and contrasts characterize his artistic development, from the black-and-white of his early, dark lithographs and works in charcoal to the veritable explosions of color in his bright pastels and oils. Bizarre monsters appear alongside heavenly creatures in a blend of dream and nightmare, nature and vision. Tending toward internalization, the mythic, sacred and biological motifs in Redon's works underwent a turn toward the mystical, not only on account of his subject matter, but also through the aesthetic aspects of color and form. Greatly admired by contemporaries such as Paul Cezanne and Edgar Degas, Redon influenced artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamp, as well as the Surrealists. The artist's brilliant ideas and his contextually, technically and materially multifaceted body of work are presented in this catalogue. Born in France to a prosperous family, Odilon Redon (1840-1916) began drawing at an early age and moved to Paris after unsuccessful forays into architecture and sculpture. Redon began his career working primarily in charcoal and lithography, before transitioning to oils and pastels in the 1890s. With his keen interest in literature, Redon found champions and collaborators in Joris-Karl Huysmans, Emile Hennequin and, most significantly, the Symbolist poet Stephane Mallarme. Redon's work achieved international renown after being exhibited at the American Armory Show in 1913.

Odilon Redon

With his pioneering visual language, not least inspired by children and the mentally ill, Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) succeeded in disengaging himself from traditions and reinventing art, so to speak. Dubuffet's influence can also still be felt in contemporary art and Street Art, for example in work by David Hockney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring.The point of departure for this presentation of the artist's multilayered oeuvre is Dubuffet's fascinating notion of landscape, which can also change into a body, a face, an object. He experimented with new techniques and materials, such as sand, butterfly wings, sponges, and slag, creating a unique pictorial universe. Besides important paintings and sculptures from all of the artist's creative phases, the volume also features Dubuffet's spectacular Coucou Bazar, a synthesis of the arts in which painting, sculpture, theater, dance, and music converge. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-4098-2) Ausstellung/Exhibition: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel 31.1.-8.4.2016

Raphaël Bouvier

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