Friedrich Stowasser (December 15, 1928 – February 19, 2000), better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser, was an Austrian visual artist and architect who also worked in the field of environmental protection. Hundertwasser stood out as an opponent of "a straight line" and any standardization, expressing this concept in the field of building design. His best known work is the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Austria which has become a notable place of interest in the Austrian capital, characterised by imaginative vitality and uniqueness.
- Wikipedia
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Our magnificent Hundertwasser museum in Whangarei is nearing completion.
Here are some pics of it as it stands today:
The Hundertwasser Museum is based on designs by Austrian born NZ artist and architect Friedrich Hundertwasser and is located in the stunning Basin area of the city.
This beautiful building will be a place to visit for locals, a drawcard for visitors and will become an icon for Whangarei. I can't wait for it to be finished. It will add vitality to the basin area and should encourage spin-off of arts, craft, quality cafes and boutiques to the area.
That said of course there are a lot of naysayers to the project.
It has been a long battle with silly old farts wanting something 'traditional' and, or a Maori experience instead. WTF! There's as much Maori experience as you want in Northland and there is an excellent Maori history visitor centre at Waitangi. New Zealand has plenty of boring traditional buildings for some people to gawk at, what we lack is unique, challenging architecture.
3 comments:
Looks really exciting.
As a mature artist he professed an intense dislike for all art theory, including color theory. Hundertwasser believed that painting is a religious experience. Opting always for spiritualism over rationalism, he preferred to be viewed as a "magician of vegetation." In 1954 the artist developed a quasi-mystical philosophy of artistic creation and perception called "Transautomatism" which he later developed into a "Grammar of Vision."
Hundertwasser's early paintings were heavily influenced by the Vienna Secession tradition of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. His works from 1949 through 1953 also display close affinity with well-known paintings by Paul Klee. In 1953 the spiral motif first appeared in his work and became the most consistent formal element of his mature style. The artist, who first recognized the spiral while viewing a film called "Imagery of the Insane," defined the motif as a "biological spiral" and "a symbol of life." Throughout his career Hundertwasser used the six spectral colors almost exclusively. His later work combined these with metallic colors such as gold, silver, bronze, or aluminum. His forms are archaic and primitive and his picture surfaces are often covered by repetitive patterns.
Thanks Mr Google.
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