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Almine Rech

Franz West

Franz West, one of the key figures of the international art scene, was first influenced by the generation of Actionists and Performance artists of the sixties. His early sculptures, later called  "Adaptatives", made of wood and fragments of wire netting covered in papier mâché painted in white became the foundation of his practice. In the eighties, some of these sculptures, redeveloped on a large scale, would translate to outsized aluminum pieces or installations, exploring the relation to the body as well as to social issues. Franz West’s works went on to encompass the practices of painting and sculpture, as well as installations and monumental outdoor pieces. Rejecting the passive nature between objects and viewers, he continually intended to disconcert the viewers perception of an artwork.

Selected artworks

  • Franz West,                                      Uncle Chair (with arm rests), 2008

    Franz West Uncle Chair (with arm rests), 2008

    Metal and textile bands - indoor chair
    87 x 55 x 45 cm
    34 1/4 x 21 5/8 x 17 3/4 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled, 2009

    Franz West Untitled, 2009

    Painting: paint, wood, plexiglass, jute;
    Trog: metal, foam, linnen
    230 x 152 cm
    90 1/2 x 59 7/8 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled (large sculpture with can), 2009

    Franz West Untitled (large sculpture with can), 2009

    Papier-mâché, styrofoam, acrylic lacquer, can
    132 x 104 x 95 cm
    52 x 41 x 37 3/8 in

  • Franz West,                                      Nannerl, 2006

    Franz West Nannerl, 2006

    Steel, coco mat, carpet
    98 x 192 x 81 cm

  • Franz West,                                      Artists Chairs, 2010

    Franz West Artists Chairs, 2010

    Stainless steel, epoxy resin, acrylic lacquer
    85 x 45 x 55 cm
    33 1/2 x 17 3/4 x 21 5/8 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled, 2007

    Franz West Untitled, 2007

    Gouache on foam cardboard, framed
    101,5 x 73 cm
    40 x 28 3/4 in (framed)

  • Franz West,                                      Ja! Natürlich, 2004

    Franz West Ja! Natürlich, 2004

    Collage, acrylic laquer, foam core, mount
    76 x 101,5 cm
    29 7/8 x 40 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled, 2008

    Franz West Untitled, 2008

    Papier mâché, metal, styrofoam, lacquer, acrylic paint
    130 x 94 x 67 cm
    26 3/8 x 22 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled (from the series “Transfigured Past”), 2009

    Franz West Untitled (from the series “Transfigured Past”), 2009

    Collage and acrylic paint on paper, mounted on canvas
    80 x 106,5 cm
    31 1/2 x 41 7/8 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled (from the series “Transfigured Past”), 2009

    Franz West Untitled (from the series “Transfigured Past”), 2009

    Collage et peinture acrylique sur papier, monté sur toile
    80,5 x 106 cm
    31 3/4 x 41 3/4 in

  • Franz West,                                      Pommes d'Adam, 2007

    Franz West Pommes d'Adam, 2007

    Papier-mâché, wood, plexiglass
    87 x 126 x 64 cm
    34 1/4 x 18 1/8 x 23 1/4 in

  • Franz West,                                      Violet Lamp, 2008

    Franz West Violet Lamp, 2008

    Metal, acrylic glass, electrical device, neon lights
    299,7 x 129,5 x 100,3 cm
    118 x 51 x 39 1/2 in

  • Franz West,                                      Untitled, 2007

    Franz West Untitled, 2007

    Gouache on foam cardboard, framed
    101,5 x 73 cm (framed)
    40 x 28 3/4 in (framed)

Selected press