Giacometti, Alberto

The Swiss painter, sculptor, and graphic artist Alberto Giacometti counts as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He spent most of his creative life in Paris. While he was initially interested in surrealist und cubist ideas, he later focused entirely on "compositions with figures". This resulted in his archaic sculptures that are exhibited in most important museums, and for which the artist is now famous. 
 

In the 1940s and 50s, Giacometti’s work was considered outdated, compared to that of conceptual artists such as Marcel Duchamp. Nevertheless, Giacometti managed to create an extraordinary oeuvre despite his traditional work methods. He did not simply copy reality, but fought against traditional sculptural means by a more abstract approach. It seems to be this conflict in particular that gave his compositions of figures their unique expression. He remained focused on human figures and created fragile, seemingly weak and elongated bodies. Despite their fragile appearance, they are stuck to their bases with gravity and determination. Giacometti addresses futility and meaninglessness. His unique style allowed him to create out of these difficult topics forms that hold the viewer’s gaze. The surfaces are full of gouges that, due to their arrangement, create a rhythm that guides our gaze along the figure. A pleasant feeling of acceptance is created and, finally, also moments in which it no longer seems necessary to look for a reason for the misery and someone to blame for it. An expression of pausing in the middle of these emotions is conveyed that is, today, even more relevant than ever.
 

In order to convey these topics, Giacometti did not always need to create an elaborate sculpture. He also manifested them in his sketches and works of printmaking. In his drawings, Giacometti was concerned with the physicality of objects and their phenomenology in space. On the occasion of an exhibition in 1951, he created his first works of printmaking. His best-known lithographic series "Paris sans fin" comprises 150 prints and was published posthumously in 1969.