John Chamberlain: Bending Spaces - Softcover

Beate Reifenscheid

Softcover

ISBN 10: 883664130X ISBN 13: 9788836641307

Publisher: Silvana Editoriale, 2019

Synopsis

• An extensive set of sculptures and original photos by John Chamberlain show his lifelong exploration and experimentation around coloured car body parts and the illusion of movement in space
• Text in English and German

The crumpled sculptures by American artist John Chamberlain, welded together from deformed car body parts, revolutionised the art world back in the 1950s. Through the unusual use of industrially prefabricated materials and their completely free repurposing, he released new processes of artistic forms and a consumer-oriented aesthetic. At first assigned to Nouveau Réalisme, his work at the same time evinces relationships with Abstract Realism and Minimal Art, but ultimately asserts a great measure of autonomy in its form of expression. As early as the mid-1950s, he turned to the industrial scrap from cars, which he squashed, pressed into shape and welded together. Just as important as the form is the interplay of colours which make his works dazzle and sometimes bring them into a certain proximity with colour-happy Pop Art.

In addition to his internationally renowned sculptural work, Chamberlain occupied himself intensively with photography, a theme extensively addressed in this book. Sculpture and photography interact directly with each other. Unlike the sculptures, which are positioned in their materiality, Chamberlain's photographs are marked by great blurring and fleetingness. At the same time, they absorb the element of movement in space. Chamberlain himself put it in terms of 'bending space'. One may think of them, even more readily than of his sculptures, as the spontaneous gestural structures of Abstract Expressionist paintings.

Text in English and German.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The crumpled sculptures by American artist John Chamberlain, welded together from deformed car body parts, revolutionized the art world back in the 1950s. Through the unusual use of industrially prefabricated materials and their completely free repurposing, he released new processes of artistic forms and a consumer-oriented aesthetic. At first assigned to Nouveau Réalisme, his work at the same time evinces relationships with Abstract Realism and Minimal Art, but ultimately asserts a great measure of autonomy in its form of expression. As early as the mid-1950s, he turned to the industrial scrap from cars, which he squashed, pressed into shape and welded together. Just as important as the form is the interplay of colours which make his works dazzle and sometimes bring them into a certain proximity with colour-happy Pop Art. In addition to his internationally renowned sculptural work, Chamberlain occupied himself intensively with photography, a theme extensively addressed in this book. Sculpture and photography interact directly with each other. Unlike the sculptures, which are positioned in their materiality, Chamberlain’s photographs are marked by great blurring and fleetingness. At the same time, they absorb the element of movement in space. Chamberlain himself put it in terms of ‘bending space’. One may think of them, even more readily than of his sculptures, as the spontaneous gestural structures of Abstract Expressionist paintings.

Edition details

• Publisher: Silvana Editoriale
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 883664130X
• ISBN 13: 9788836641307
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 152