I ran into the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser , a contemporary (1928-2000) Austrian artist, several years ago at a gallery in Boston and was immediately drawn to his work.
It was probably not a surprise as his work focused primarily on color and organic forms with few straight lines and had a strong individualized vocabulary. His work was his work and that spoke to me. Creating something that was my own individual expression was always my highest priority.
I was also interested into his forays into architecture and urban environmentalism, both of which are often reflected in his work. But it was primarily his colors and forms that drew me in. Whenever I come across his work I have to stop and look for a few moments, taking in the whole image at first , letting it register as a single form. Then moving in closer to look at individual elements, seeing how each shape and color plays off the next. It’s the way I hope people look at my own work.
The piece shown here is not one piece but a group of refrigerator magnets massed together but would make an interesting piece. I was also attracted to his use of black in his edges and underneath his work, something that I have somewhat adapted for my own work.
There is a total commitment to vision in his work that I admire. And while I don’t feel raw emotion in the work I do find it compelling.
And that is saying something…
Redtree Times 