Friday, February 06, 2009

 

Salvador DALI, all-round artist, painter, sculptor, photographer ...




On the occasion of the 20th anniversary disappearance of SALVADOR DALI, Fanantique proposes a large choice of photographic and graphic artworks. To discover them, click here >>



Salvador Dali, an unusal artist
Born in FIGUERAS in 1904 and deceased in the same town on January 23rd 1989. Between these two dates, the genius of port LLIGAT, atypical artist and typically Catalan, influenced the 20th century and leaves an indelible trace in the history of art and the heritage of Humanity. Mainly known as a painter, although painting represents only 15% of his work, DALI is, most of all, a productive artist in constant creative effervescence and gives a SOUL to whatever passes in his hands or in his brain, such as the famous happening events for ever engraved in the collective memory. He nourrishes all the courants, as well as the ones of fashion, advertisement and Design. He is also writer, scenographer, film director, and the 'actor' the most expensive in the history of Cinema (still valid!).

Dali and the photography
One of his less known talent is the photography. DALI realized before everybody else the intemporal importance of the Photographic Art and its impact on future generations ! From the 20's, he elaborates some postures in front of the camera of his contemporaries such as MAN RAY & HALSMANN… As time goes by, and with an auto-marketing strategy, he creates a character that sparks curiosity and, most of all, a keen interest of international journalists that immortalize the POPE OF SURREALISM in all his splendor!
Salvador DALI is certainly the artist the most photographed in the world. "HE" is the most surrealist creation of his own production! His image on a picture is an "ARTWORK" !!!


In 1975 in Paris, DALI with the sponsoring of NIKON organize his first photo exhibition, with the famous photographer ROBERT DESCHARNES and MARC LACROIX, but back then, only the engravings and lithographs are noticed by the public. It is only in 2004, date of his 100th birthday, that the wortld of Art discovers « DALI PHOTOGRAPHE » and his precious testimony through the decades of the last century, especially with the immortalized 'Fabulous adventure of DON QUICHOTTE' by JOSEPH FORET and the ’APOCALYPSE of SAINT JEAN', which is still an important theme in present time. The POWER of his compositions realized at DRAEGER in 1968, is also the only SURE & REALIST major creation, that illuminates and shines on the contemporary photography activity. DALI is an universal creator and we can never stop discovering his artistic interdisciplinarity.
Text by Jordi Casals.

Find all artworks by Salvador Dali by clicking here >>

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

 

Panton, Paulin, Pesce, three designers ...

I chose the letter P to introduce three major designers of the 20th century that I particularly admire. First, I will introduce one of the oddest designer of his time, I named Verner Panton, then continue with the french touch of Pierre Paulin and the experimental art of Gaetano Pesce.

Verner PANTON
Verner Panton was born in Denmark in 1926 and got a diploma in architecture. At the beginning of his career, he worked as an assistant of Arne Jacobsen before opening his own studio in 1955. Quickly he created non conformist pieces of furniture such as the K1 Cone chair. The most famous creation remains the Panton chair created from one piece of plastic that he realized in the 1960's, still produced today by Vitra, and seen as a technically and aesthetically sophisticated concept. Along his career, he created flowing, stunning plastic forms, futuristic creations, and was considered as the most controversial designer in Denmark. He died in 1998. To see the object of Verner Panton, click here

Pierre PAULIN
Pierre Paulin was born in Paris in 1927, he created his first chairs for Thonet and realized in the meantime his most innovative creations for Artifort. His chairs reflect the natural forms of nature, the sculptural and soft shapes characterize his organic style. His favourite materials was the foam that he covered with textile or leather. Along his career he was influenced by Arne Jacobsen and later by Ron Arad. In the 70's, he was comissionned to design furniture for the office of Georges Pompidou and François Mitterand, the french presidents of that time. His design sees a revival and remains a source of inspiration for modern designers. To see the objects of Pierre Paulin, click here

Gaetano PESCE
Gaetano Pesce was born in la Spezia in 1939. He started his career as an artist before becoming a designer. He got famous in the 60's with his anthropomorphic Up chairs and became a leader of the Radical Design Movement. Since the 80's, even if his innovative products are mass-produced they are not identical, and this concept applies to many of his creations such as the nobody's perfect furniture collection. With now 40 years of career, he is considered as one of the most experimental and provocative designer, playing with colors and disorder in the forms and materials. Since 1980's he moved to New York to focus on architecture, while still producing surprising artworks. To see the objects of Gaetano Pesce, click here

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

 

Incredible Art Basel and other art exhibitions.

This summer , you won't have time to rest, many quality art exhibitions are to come all over the world. Art Basel has just finished, but I am already getting prepared for the next one, get your most confortable shoes and follow me. The list of art events below is not exhaustive.

ART BASEL










300 galleries representing about 2000 artists from all over the world, and lots of corridors and kilometers to ride through. I started with a nice breakfast at the outside lounge bar before entering the fair where a sculpture by Romero Britto welcomed the visitors.

The galleries came from all parts of the world: USA, Japan, China, Europe, South Africa, Australia to show us their best collections. We could find original paintings by Botero, Miro, Picasso, Chagall, Magritte, Rouault, sculptures by Arp, Moore and many artworks by other talented artists such as Arman, Adami, and Baj.
Andy Warhol was the big star of the fair, and that was, for me, the opportunity to know better his work. Followed by Alex Katz, John Chamberlain, Lucio Fontana, Tony Cragg ... well, you could see the best and the most up-to-date artworks that everybody talk about or has been talking about within the last months.
With a short schedule I couldn't visit all the places the Art Basel fair had organized but I'm already prepared for the 39th edition of Art Basel which will be held on June 4 to 8, 2008. If you want more, let's meet in Art Basel Miami on 6 - 9 December 2007.

ART EXHIBITIONS

Shanghai Fine Jewelry and Art Fair, China
Dhanghai exhibition center, October 13-21, 2007
www.sfjaf.com

Art Toronto, Canada
Toronto intertnational art fair, October 25 -29,2007
www.tiafair.com

Biennale di Venezia, Italy
52nd edition of international art exhibtion, July 10 - November 21, 2007
www.labiennale.org

Le nouveau réalisme, Paris, France
Grand Palais, until July 2nd, 2007.
www.rmn.fr/nouveau-realisme

De Cezanne à Picasso, Chefs d'oeuvre de la galerie Vollard
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France, June 19th to september 19th, 2007
www.musee-orsay.fr


Toby Wright, Firenze, Italy

Third annual alumni exhibition, Corsini Family stables, June 19 - 23, 2007
www.florenceacademyofart.com


Art Basel Miami Beach
The international art show, December 6 - 9, 2007
www.artbasel.com


Looking forward to the next blog,
Best,
C.G.


Monday, February 26, 2007

 

Furniture designers, and glassware manufacturer

Our art gallery counts products from the greatest artists and the best manufacturers of our times, I have decided to introduce you few of them in few lines.
Have a closer look to the artworks and modern creations of italian furniture designer and glass manufacturer.


Ettore Sottsass







Born in Austria, Ettore Sottsass graduates in architecture in 1939 and starts his career as an architect in Milan in the late 1940’s.

In the 1950’s he becomes famous for the design of Elea 2003, the first Italian-made computer for Olivetti, using a friendly interface and a modern look. Promoted senior consultant, he designs for Olivetti many successful products.
In the 1960’s he develops his artistic skills, creates many provocative anti-bourgeois artworks to block the Radical Design Movement. He exhibits at the MOMA New York few years later and takes part of Anti-Design movement.

But it is in 1981 that Ettore creates for the avant-garde Memphis Design Group (that he has co-founded) the colourful laminated Carlton Room Divider, now an icon in Modern furniture, but also in 1982 silverware products like the Murmansk fruit bowl. He later founds the Sottsass associati, a design studio dedicated to creations of consumer goods. During his career, he works for renowned companies such as Alessi, Artemide, Knoll, Poltronova, Vitra, Zumtobel.


Alessandro Mendini







Born in Milan in 1931, Alessandro Me
ndini graduates in architecture in 1959 in Milan. He works for Zanotta and Alessi for many years and for Olivetti in the 1960’s.

In the 1970’s he st
arts criticizing the established Design culture and writes articles for Casabella, Modo and Domus, magazine for which he becomes managing editor until 1985. He supports strongly the Global Tools avant-garde design school and the experimental design group of Studio Alchimia.

He exhibits at the Venise biennale in 1980 and opens nine years later the Atelier Mendini in Milan and the Paradise Tower in Hiroshima. His work includes many artworks for Venini, Zanotta, Swatch.

Considered as one of the most controversial artists of the revolutionary Design movement, he is famous for the Proust armchair 1978, the Alessandro M. corkscrew and the Grande Alzata vase for Venini in 2003.


Paolo Venini







Born in Milan in 1895, Paolo Venini associates to Giacomo Cappelin and opens a glassworks in the Venetian island of Murano. They soon represents the avant-garde glass blowing figures, and creates vases, sculptures, and many other artworks in opposition with the exuberant Venetian art of the time.

Acclaimed in the 1920’s at the exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels in Paris in 1925, Paolo Venini remains the only proprietor. He then collabores with the greatest artists and glass blowers to produce innovative artworks and to develop new techniques together withhis artistic director Martinuzzi Napoleone such as the pelugoso glass (tiny air bubbles).
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Glassworks of Carlo Scarpa, such as the murrine serpente plate, chandeliers of Gio Ponti and vases of Fulvio Bianconi contributes to the fame of Venini.

Paolo Venini dies in 1959, his son in law takes over the business and uses the same strategy collaborating with great figures of Italian design : Ettore Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, Versace and many more.


Source the AZ of modern design, ed.Merrell

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Monday, November 06, 2006

 

Contemporary artists for planetary changes

Discover the works of some of the most influential artists in modern art, architecture and Design of the twentieth century. Max Bill, Pablo Picasso, Franz West, Le Corbusier... contemporary artists for planetary changes.


ABSTRACT ART - CONCRETE ART

Max BILL, 1908 - 1994
Swiss architect, artist and designer, Max Bill was a member of the Swiss Zurich concrete group. He studied at the Bauhaus art school where he followed the training of Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and many others. Influenced by the De Stijl group and Piet Mondrian, he reduced his palette to the primary colors and his forms to lines and angles, He defined his work as concrete rather than abstract, which means that the work has a life in itself and does not need external perception (world) to be significant. (meaningful).
Get your original lithograph by Max BILL >>



ART AND CERAMICS

Pablo PICASSO, 1881 - 1973
Founder of the revolutionary movement of the cubism, Pablo Picasso contributed to the development of modern art. All over his career, Picasso created many artworks: paintings, sculptures, lithographs ... and ceramics. His influence was worlwide and is still spreading out. In 1946. he met Suzanne and Georges Ramié who owned the Madoura ceramic workshop where he started his first creations. From this moment on he dedicated himself mostly to ceramic creations. In about twenty years, he created thousands of objects, some of them realized on unexpected bases and with stunning materials.
Own a Picasso sculptures or ceramic >>


DESIGN AND PLASTIC ARTS

Franz WEST, 1947
Austrian Sculptor and installation artist, Franz West is considered to be one of the most important contemporary european artist . Franz West presents works which are at the frontier between Design and Plastic arts, and which are not created to be practical but to be part of the world of contemplation and reflexion. In the 80’s he is one of the first to look for this frontier and creates mainly uncomfortable pieces of furniture which give only the illusion to be practical. Followed by many artists this reflexion influences the world of art, Design but also architecture or space organization.
Get your artwork by Franz West >>


ARCHITECTURAL ARTS

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret dit Le Corbusier, 1887 - 1965
Born in Switzerland and later becoming a naturalized French, Le Corbusier is known for his skills as an architect and for being a pioneer in modernism and a member of the progressive movement.
During his travels around Europe he took an interest in architecture and met the best architects of the moment. In 1917, he settled in Paris, discovered the cubism and started to paint. His paintings usually represent different sides of the objects rejecting the view from a fixed point. He was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities, and was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.
Get your painting by Le Corbusier>>

Thursday, August 31, 2006

 

African arts, French antiques and Planetary paintings

September is looking like a promising month for Art fans and Fanantique catches up with the outstanding effervescence and brings you some hints related to art and the artists we like.

23rd Biennale des Antiquaires - Sept. 15 to 24 - 2006

The 23rd Biennale des antiquaires will be held in the Grand Palais in Paris from Sept 15 to 24 to the delight of collectors and art lovers. Exhibitors from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, United States, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Principauty of Monaco, Switzerland and of course France will be exhibiting their best collections.
This event, headed by the president of The Syndicat National de Antiquaires, was born in 1956 with the mission to present exceptional quality works of art. The opening will be predated by a Vernissage (Sept 14th)and a Gala (Sept 13th). All the benefits will go to the Hôpitaux de Paris Hôpitaux de France Foundation headed by Madame Jacques Chirac.
This year, the biennale revels in culinary art too, the restaurant will propose the cooking of the greatest french Chefs.
The decorative arts of the 20th
century will be most prominent in the show and you will find pieces by Georges Jouve, Jean Royère, Le Corbusier, Jean Prouvé and more, but also handpicked old master paintings, jewels, and african and islamic art.

(Source
IHT, site internet biennale de antiquaires)


African and Primitive arts

Impressive wooden sculptures from Africa: Mali, Cameroon, Zaïre.
1. Calao - Cameroon - H 200 cm
2. Man on riding a Baoule horse - Cameroun - H 148 cm
3. Sculpture created in the 40's - H 185 cm

For more information or exhibitions about african or primitive arts:
Museum for African Art - Phone: 718-784-7700 - museum@africanart.org
African arts
-
Quaterly journal devoted to plastic and graphic arts of Africa.


Planetary Painter : Karel Appel

Karel Appel was born in Amsterdam in 1921 and died in Zurich in 2006. He was co-founder and a leading member of the Cobra movement formed in 1948 by a group of artists from Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam. This movement rejected the abstraction of the European paintings of the 40's, considering it too passive and believed in instinct over reason. The art of Appel was inspired by children paintings and mythology. From New York, where he lived for a long time, he created many exuberant and colorfull paintings and lithographs exploiting the free expression of his unconscious.
To see our original lithograph, click here

(Source: The Art book, edition Phaidon)



Fan'News:

Fanantique is in action :
- We will welcome very soon the Art of Rona Conti. (see picture)
- 3 new galleries are expected in automn : a specialist of asiatic arts, an expert of quality glassworks, and an antique dealer specialized in Decorative arts from 20th century.
- Since August, the number of visitors has doubled as Fanantique proposes a nice selection of contemporary artists : Chagall, Balthus, Miro, Chillida, Delaunay, Appel, Arman, Dubuffet ... To see our modern paintings and lithographs,
click here.
- We added new pieces of art of Jeantimir Kchaoudoff, an exhibition wil be held soon on the French Riviera.


See you back soon on Fanantique,
Best regards,
C.G.





Thursday, June 01, 2006

 

Contemporary and Modern Art Discoveries.

Dear Art lovers and Art collectors,

In this blog, I will focus on contemporary and modern art and mainly on two artists added in our online art gallery: Joan Miro and Arman, both inspired by the greatest - and then masters themselves.
Don't forget to read my pick of modern art events and exhibitions if you happen to be in the right spot at the right moment.



JOAN MIRO : STRANGE LIFE FORMS AND HALLUCINATORY BEINGS

Joan Miro was born in 1893 in Barcelona, Spain. Son of a jewelry maker, he studied at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts. After trying jobs after jobs, he finally decided to be an artist and started his career despite his parents' disapproval. In 1921, he left Spain for France and settled in Paris where he met Pablo Picasso and many other great artists. He joined the surrealist movement and became one of its preeminent members with Max Ernst, André Breton and Andre Masson.
Already in the 30's, Miro had his own style, his fame and recognition were international. He used the spontaneous method of the untutored (kids, or insane) people, admiring their freedom and exuberance. Known for being a hard worker and a modest man, he created many lithographs, etchings, ceramics and semi-abstract paintings, always representing strange life-forms or hallucinatory beings, putting us in a subconcious dream universe and invading our memory forever. Miro died in Spain in 1983.
Get your original Miro's lithograph
>>

Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for more than 40 years. AI has a varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest count, there were more than 1.8 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world ( source: http://www.amnesty.org).

ARMAN : THE ART TO ASSEMBLE AND ACCUMULATE

Born in 1928 in Nice, France, Arman obtained a degree in philosophy and mathematics before studying the arts at the Decorative Art school of Nice, and archeology and oriental art at the Ecole du Louvre. His career was briefly interrupted during the Indo-chinese war. Soon, he developed his own style and explored the beauty in gathering together vast quantities of similar objects: bottle tops, brushes, glass eyes, needles, musical instruments, cigarettes... As a leading member of the "nouveaux réalistes" mouvement, continuing what the dadaist artists had started, Arman explored the idea of the elevation of banal objects to works of art and reflected through his art the post war era of mass consumption. In the 60's, Arman went to the U.S.A and explored the concept of creation via destruction and combustions, looking for the aesthetic qualities related to chaos. During his career, he met many artists such as Yves Klein, Cesar, Jean Tinguely and created many lithographs, accumulations and sculptures. Considered as one of the most experimental creators of the 20th century, Arman died on October 22, 2005.

BAJ, BRETON, DUCHAMP AND PERET : 4 IRONIC ETCHINGS .

When 4 great artists decide to join, the result can be charming:
1o etchings (only 4 on s
ale) by Enrico Baj (1923 - 2004) from the book of André Breton "Dames et Généraux" titled by Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968) and illustrated by Benjamin Péret's poems.

To discover absolutely... but also works of art by Sonia Delaunay,
Henri Goetz, Jean Dubuffet, Jean Lurçat, Balthus... Click here >>


MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART EVENTS :

Max Beckmann (1884- 1950) - Dream of life
Zurich - till June 18th - Paul Klee center
More than 60 works about his main topics: theater, music ...

Jean-Pierre Raynaud (1939) - Les Raynaud de Raynaud
Nice - till Sept. 10th - MAMAC
120 Sculptures, compositions and other objects
derived from their original nature.

Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) - The Picassos from Antibes
Malaga - till Juin 13th - Museo Picasso Malaga
70 sculptures, paintings, drawings realized during his stay in Antibes in 1946.

Paul Strand (1890 - 1976) - Three roads taken
Giverny, France - till June 11th - American art museum
70 realistic photographs : landscapes from Maine and New Mexico and portraits.

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