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FRANZ WEST b. 1947
‘West’s sculptures are intrinsically amorphous, apparently formless in
Sculpture: Meeting Point 2, 2000. Painting: Plakatentwürf (Poster design) (Meeting
their appearance, and may be observed and/or used. Their dignified
Points), 2001 Sculpture: enamel on aluminium, wooden plinth. Painting: digital print, lacquer,
presentation and staging induces the viewer’s contemplation, otherwise
acrylic and collage on foamboard mounted to aluminium. Sculpture: 126 x 372 x
reserved for more solemn art forms, but which here in fact allows the
296 cm. (49 1/2 x 146 1/2 x 116 1/2 in). Painting: 172 x 231 cm. (67 3/4 x 91 in).
anti-sculpture to come properly into its own. Similarly the plinth – which
Estimate £ 5 0 , 0 0 0 -70 , 0 0 0
$ 8 2 ,70 0 -118 , 0 0 0
€ 57,10 0 -7 9, 9 0 0 ♠‡
modern art has been at such pains to overcome – does not constitute a contradiction in West’s work. Nor does it represent a sudden
Provenance Sculpture: Galerie Elisabeth & Klaus Thoman, Innsbruck; Painting:
introduction of conservatism. The plinths are just as non-formalist as
Gagosian Gallery, London; Galerie Elisabeth & Klaus Thoman, Innsbruck
the other elements of the sculptures, and are incorporated into these,
exhibited Innsbruck, Schlosspark Ambras, Franz West: die Aluskulptur, 4 June -
15 October, 2000; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Franz West: Meeting Points, 12
creating small environments: Gesamtkunstwerk – synthesized artforms.
August - 14 October, 2001(sculpture); Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Franz West:
All of this goes into making up West’s concept of his art: turning his
Meeting Points, 12 August - 14 October, 2001; Innsbruck, Galerie Elisabeth & Klaus
back on traditions of the sublime and the monumental in twentieth
Thoman, Franz West, 2002 (painting) Literature Exhibition catalogue, Schlosspark Ambras, Franz West: die
Aluskulptur, Cologne, 2000, p. 28 (sculpture illustrated)
century sculpture, he breathes new life into the concept of a sculpture as a three-dimensional object with which one can have a personal, physical encounter. Consequently, West occupies a major role in contemporary sculpture.’ (R. Fleck, Sex and the Modern Sculptor, Franz West, London, Phaidon Press Limited, 1999)
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