John Armleder
Encyclopedia
John Armleder as the son of a hotelier (owners of Le Richemond
), is a Swiss performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator. His work is based on his involvement with Fluxus
in the 1960s and 1970s, when he created performance art
pieces, installations and collective art activities that were strongly influenced by John Cage
. However, Armleder's position throughout his career has been to avoid associating his artistic practice with any type of manifesto.
during the 1970s and 1980s, not only through its activity as an independent publishing house, but also because it introduced in Switzerland
- and sometimes in Europe - a large number of notable artists, including Joseph Beuys
and Andy Warhol
. Armleder was later associated with Neo-Geo artistic movement and was often referred to as the "darling" of the New York art critics in this period (1980s).
Armleder frequently examines the context in which art is displayed and views the exhibition as a medium in its own right. Since the 1990s, he has created installations, paintings, wall paintings, sculptures and what he calls Furniture Sculptures - installations which usually juxtapose furniture with monochrome or abstract paintings, either literally on the furniture or on a canvass hanging nearby. His work has varied greatly in form, and has, since the beginnings, used chance
as a method of producing the final forms that pieces take, much like John Cage
. He often uses a dense scenographic hanging style, putting individual works into close proximity and creating installation-like exhibitions.
In 2004, a retrospective exhibition of his works on paper was shown at the Kunsthalle Zürich in Zurich
, Switzerland, and later traveled to the ICA
in Philadelphia. In the winter of 2006-2007, a large exhibition including works from all eras of his career was shown at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Mamco) in Geneva
, Switzerland.
Le Richemond
Le Richemond first opened in 1875 as a family run pension under the name Le-Riche-Mont. The first owner Adolphe-Rodolphe Armleder was the son of a German maker of oak wine barrels....
), is a Swiss performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator. His work is based on his involvement with Fluxus
Fluxus
Fluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
in the 1960s and 1970s, when he created performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
pieces, installations and collective art activities that were strongly influenced by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
. However, Armleder's position throughout his career has been to avoid associating his artistic practice with any type of manifesto.
Life and work
Armleder studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Geneva (1966-7) and at the Glamorgan Summer School, Britain (1969). In 1969, with Patrick Lucchini and Claude Rychner, Armleder founded the Groupe Ecart in Geneva, from which stemmed the Galerie Ecart and its associated performance group and publications. The Groupe Ecart was particularly important in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the 1970s and 1980s, not only through its activity as an independent publishing house, but also because it introduced in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
- and sometimes in Europe - a large number of notable artists, including Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was a German performance artist, sculptor, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and pedagogue of art.His extensive work is grounded in concepts of humanism, social philosophy and anthroposophy; it culminates in his "extended definition of art" and the idea of social...
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
. Armleder was later associated with Neo-Geo artistic movement and was often referred to as the "darling" of the New York art critics in this period (1980s).
Armleder frequently examines the context in which art is displayed and views the exhibition as a medium in its own right. Since the 1990s, he has created installations, paintings, wall paintings, sculptures and what he calls Furniture Sculptures - installations which usually juxtapose furniture with monochrome or abstract paintings, either literally on the furniture or on a canvass hanging nearby. His work has varied greatly in form, and has, since the beginnings, used chance
Chance
- Philosophy, logic and theology :* Chance * Contingency * Indeterminism* Luck* Probability* Randomness- Places :* Chancé, a commune in Brittany, France* Chance, Kentucky, U.S.* Chance, Maryland, U.S.* Chance, Virginia, U.S....
as a method of producing the final forms that pieces take, much like John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
. He often uses a dense scenographic hanging style, putting individual works into close proximity and creating installation-like exhibitions.
In 2004, a retrospective exhibition of his works on paper was shown at the Kunsthalle Zürich in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland, and later traveled to the ICA
Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
The Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is a contemporary art museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum is associated with the University of Pennsylvania, and is located on its campus. The Institute is one of the country's leading museums dedicated to exhibiting the innovative...
in Philadelphia. In the winter of 2006-2007, a large exhibition including works from all eras of his career was shown at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Mamco) in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland.
External links
- Artist's Official Site
- Simon Lee Gallery.
- Documentation of recent John Armleder exhibitions
- Heyoka Magazine Interview with John LeKay
- John Armleder at Ace Gallery
- http://www.luxos.com/magazine/john-armleder-conceptual-artist Venice Exibition
- John Armleder, "About Nothing" ICA Philadelphia review by Steven Stern, Frieze