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Swiss Painter and Dadaist Kinetic Artist, a Metamechanics Sculptor - Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) Jean Tinguely, a painter and a sculptor, was born on May 22, 1925, in Fribourg, Switzerland, to a chocolate packer. The same year, he and his mother moved to Basel, where he completed his schooling. In 1940, Jean took an apprenticeship as a shop-window decorator and enrolled himself in the evening classes at the Kunstschule. His teacher at the art school introduced him to the 'Dadaist' collages of Kurt Schwitters, which left a lasting impression on the artist. In 1944, Jean enrolled in the School of Art and Crafts at Basel. During this time, he displayed his enthusiasm for electromechanics. He would hang various mechanical objects, fitted with electric motors, to the ceiling and rotate them at high speeds. Jean is famous for his 'Dadaist Kinetic Art,' 'metamechanics' sculptors. His "Homage to New York (1959)," a machine that destroyed itself when set into motion, is the most illustrious of his works. The partially destructed machine is at display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. However, Tinguely's "Study for an End of the World No. 2 (1962)" successfully destructed itself in the front of a live audience at Las Vegas. In 1952, Jean and his first wife, Eva Aeppli, moved to France. In 1954, he held his first exhibition at Galerie Arnaud in Paris. Soon the artist was counted among Parisian avant-garde. In 1955, he met Niki de Saint Phalle, with whom he developed a close relationship. In 1960, Jean and Niki divorced their spouses. The same year, Jean met Arman, Francis Dufrêne, Raymond Hains, Yves Klein, Pierre Restany, Jacques de Villeglé, Martial Raysse, and Daniel Spoerri. Together they all formed a group called 'Nouveau Réalisme (New Realists).' In the very year, Tinguely visited New York, the then hub of 'Abstract Expressionism,' and made friends with several leading artists there. Upon his return to Paris in 1971, Jean Tinguely married his close friend and colleague, Niki de Saint Phalle. The couple worked together to set up the female sculpture, "Hon," in 1966, at Moderna Museet, in Stockholm. Jean's "Machines" was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (1966), New York; World Exhibition (1967), Montreal; and again at the Museum of Modern Art (1968). Tinguely built the sculpture, "Chaos No. 1" in the Civic Mall, Columbus, USA, in 1975 and in 1978, completed first of his series of "Meta-Harmonie." Jean, along with Niki de Saint Phalle, also created the fountain, "La Fontaine Stravinsky (1981)," in Paris. The artist continued to create numerous fountains, sculptures, and paintings. 'Nachtschattengewächse' was his last exposition, held at Kunsthaus, Vienna. Jean Tinguely passed away on August 30, 1991, in Inselspital, Bern. Tinguely's humor, allure, and sincerity won him great popularity, and his 'metamechanics' left audiences spellbound and bemused. Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.labedzki-art.com Article Source:
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