(Quincy/Massachusetts 1935–lives and works in New York City) Belgica Blue Poles. 1988. Belgian Blue Limestone, 8 parts. Each 15 × 15 × 45 cm. Overall size 45 × 75 × 75 cm. With a confirmed correspondence by Carl Andre that the original certificate was lost and that these correspondence confirms the authenticity. Provenance: - Gallery Plus-Kern, Bruxelles. - Private collection Bruxelles. - Christies New York, Auction 15 May 2002, lot 353. - Purchased form the above by the present owner, since then private collector Switzerland. “My work is atheistic, materialistic and communistic. Its atheistic because its without transcendent form, without spiritual or intellectual quality. Materialistic because its made out of its own materials without pretension to other materials. And communistic because the form is equally accessible to all men.” Carl Andre As one of the most innovative artists of his generation, Carl Andre is particularly famous for his minimalist sculptures, which he has been creating since the early 1960s and through which he revolutionised the concept of sculpture. The strictness of the geometric form, the repetitive nature of the elements and the strong horizontal orientation are the features of Carl Andres work that immediately captivate the viewer. There is no individual signature, surface structure or narrative content to be seen in his work "Belgica Blue Poles" rather, 8 elements made of limestone are aligned in a strictly formal, equal manner, with the centre as an empty space. The idea that sculpture is a place rather than an object, which equally includes the space above and beside it, allows the viewer to experience the work with all the senses: the sound when entering, the haptics when touching, the reflection of the light, the play of light and dark. The special effect of the respective materiality — be it unprocessed wood, industrially manufactured wooden planks, bricks, granite blocks, limestone or flat steel, aluminium, lead, zinc, magnesium, and copper plates — demands the sensitive perception of the viewer. Created in 1988, at a time when many artists were questioning the idea of presenting their works on a plinth, Andre attacked these traditional artistic values head-on. The logical step of aligning his works with the horizontal and placing them directly on the floor, to be stepped on, exemplifies the radical nature of his artistic intention. These floor sculptures are on the same level as human beings, in both the physical and figurative sense. The work presented here, “Belgica Blue Poles”, is not only visually striking in its clarity, but is also a philosophically exciting work that encourages the viewer to question the relationship that exists between a work of art and its environment, as well as the way our bodies and senses experience art. A central figure in post-war American art and Minimal Art, Carl Andre has had a significant impact on subsequent generations of sculptors. Born in 1935 in Quincy, Massachusetts, he was primarily self-taught and developed his artistic skills through close interaction with other artists. Frank Stella was particularly influential at the end of the 1950s, as was Constantin Brancusis oeuvre, with a special focus on the "Endless Column". These encounters provided the impetus for the first body of work of large-format wooden sculptures, which eventually led to an innovative sculptural concept: the Element series. The rigorous simplicity of form with its strict geometry, as well as the concentration on industrially produced materials and their serial arrangement, made him one of the key figures of Minimal Art. His first solo exhibition in New York (1965) was followed by his participation in the documenta (1968, 1982) and numerous major international exhibitions. Works by Carl Andre are exhibited in important museums worldwide, including the Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki, the Kunsthalle Hamburg, the Musées des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the SMAK Ghent and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. CARL ANDRE (Quincy/Massachusetts 1935–lebt und arbeitet in New York City) Belgica Blue Poles. 1988. Belgischer blauer Kalkstein, 8-teilig. Jeweils 15 × 15 × 45 cm. Gesamtmass 45 × 75 × 75 cm. Mit einer von Carl Andre best?tigten Korrespondenz, dass das Originalzertifikat verloren gegangen ist und diese Korrespondenz als Best?tigung der Authentizit?t dient. Provenienz: - Gallery Plus-Kern, Brüssel. - Privatsammlung Brüssel. - Christies New York, Auktion 15. Mai 2002, Los 353. - Bei obiger Auktion vom heutigen Besitzer erworben, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz. ?My work is atheistic, materialistic and communistic. Its atheistic because its without transcendent form, without spiritual or intellectual quality. Materialistic because its made out of its own materials without pretension to other materials. And communistic because the form is equally accessible to all men.“ Carl Andre Als einer der innovativsten Künstler seiner Generation wird Carl Andre besonders durch seine minimalistischen Skulpturen berühmt,**er seit Anfang der 1960er Jahre schafft und durch**er das Konzept der Skulptur revolutioniert hat.**Strenge der geometrischen Form, das Repetitive der Elemente sowie**starke Ausrichtung ins Horizontale sind**Werkmerkmale bei Carl Andre,**den Betrachter spontan in den Bann ziehen. Eine individuelle Handschrift, Oberfl?chenstruktur oder narrativer Inhalt sind in seinem Werk ?Belgica Blue Poles“ nicht zu erkennen, vielmehr sind 8 Elemente aus Kalkstein streng formal, gleichwertig, ausgerichtet, wobei**Mitte als Raum leer ist.**Vorstellung, dass**Skulptur vielmehr ein Ort als ein Objekt ist, der den Raum darüber und daneben ebenso miteinschliesst, l?sst den Betrachter das Werk mit allen Sinnen erleben: der Klang beim Betreten,**Haptik bei der Berührung,**Reflexion des Lichts, das Spiel von Hell und Dunkel.**besondere Wirkung der jeweiligen Materialit?t - sei es unbearbeitetes Holz, industriell gefertigte Holzbohlen, Ziegelsteine, Granitbl?cke, Kalksteine oder flache Stahl-, Aluminium-, Blei-, Zink-, Magnesium- und Kupferplatten – fordert**sensible Wahrnehmung des Betrachters. 1988 geschaffen, in einer Zeit, in der viele Künstler**Pr?sentation ihrer Werke auf einem Sockel in Frage stellen, greift Andre diese traditionellen künstlerischen Werte frontal an. Der konsequente Schritt, seine Werke an der Horizontalen auszurichten und direkt auf den Boden zu stellen, betreten zu lassen, verdeutlicht**Radikalit?t seiner künstlerischen Intention. Diese Bodenskulpturen sind auf der gleichen Ebene wie der Mensch, im physischen wie übertragenen Sinne. Das hier pr?sentierte Werk ?Belgica Blue Poles“ ist in seiner Klarheit nicht nur visuell beeindruckend, sondern auch ein philosophisch spannendes Werk, das den Betrachter anregt,**Beziehung zu hinterfragen,**zwischen einem Kunstwerk und seiner Umgebung besteht, sowie der Art und Weise wie unsere K?rper und Sinne Kunst erleben. Als zentrale Figur der amerikanischen Nachkriegskunst und der Minimal Art hat Carl Andre in bedeutendem Masse**nachfolgenden Generationen an Bildhauern gepr?gt. 1935 in Quincy Massachusetts geboren, entwickelt er seine künstlerischen F?higkeiten in erster Linie autodidaktisch und im engen Austausch mit anderen Künstlern. Besonders pr?gend Ende der 1950er Jahre sind Frank Stella sowie Constantin Brancusis Oeuvre mit besonderem Fokus auf**?Endless Column“. Diese Begegnungen geben den Anstoss für den ersten Werkkomplex an grossformatigen Holzskulpturen,**schliesslich zu einem innovativen Skulpturenkonzept führen: den Element Serien.**rigorose Einfachheit der Form in strenger Geometrie, sowie**Konzentration auf industriell gefertigte Materialien und deren serielle Anordnung machen ihn zu einer der Schlüsselfiguren der Minimal Art. Auf eine erste Einzelausstellung in New York (1965) folgen documenta-Teilnahmen (1968, 1982) und zahlreiche gro?e, internationale Ausstellungen. Werke von Carl Andre werden weltweit in wichtigen Museen pr?sentiert, darunter**Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki,**Kunsthalle Hamburg,**Musées des Beaux-Arts in Brüssel, das SMAK Gent und das Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
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