Ulf Küster Books

A re-encounter with fascinating key works of modernism, set in the context of the almanac, Der Blaue Reiter

Generously illustrated and containing the latest research, this publication is devoted to the great multi-talented artist Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) and his family. Focusing on Alberto’s works, the book also describes the Giacomettis’ artistic network and provides a deeper understanding of the art produced by the family’s most famous member. Alberto always saw himself at the center of a cosmos of events and people. This notion characterized his exploration of the relationship between figure, time, and space. In this, the members of his family were of great importance to him. Alberto’s father, the painter Giovanni Giacometti, encouraged his son from an early age. His brother Diego was his assistant and model, and after Alberto’s death, he became famous for his bronze furniture. Bruno, the youngest brother and a renowned architect; Annetta, his mother; Annette, Alberto’s wife; and Silvio, the son of his sister Ottilia, who died in childbirth, were all indispensible models for him. Finally, although he was only a distant relative, Augusto Giacometti, whose abstract paintings continue to fascinate viewers to this day, was the “other genius” of the Giacometti family. (Deutsche Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2348-0) Exhibition schedule: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, May 31–October 11, 2009

Exotische Atmosphäre, schlafwandlerische Erzählungen: vertraut unvertraute Sujets zwischen Figuration und Abstraktion

Pivotal in modern art's move towards abstraction, Piet Mondrian's oeuvre is extraordinarily versatile and complex. Not only did he paint and draw, he also wrote extensively about his thoughts and theories on art and life. Moving from traditional Dutch landscape painting to a pronounced rhythmic framework focusing on compositional structure rather than naturalistic representation, Mondrian was profoundly impressed by contemporary culture. Thus, he was not only inspired by the pattern of the extensive Dutch canal system, but also by the rhythm of jazz and the foxtrot. Demonstrating the impact of his oeuvre, Yves Saint-Laurent's famous "Mondrian Dress" even made him a fashion icon posthumously. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth, Ulf Küster entertainingly leads through well- and lesser-known aspects of Mondrian's life and work offering inspiring impulses for reflection and further engagement with the fascinating artist

Anhand bedeutender Gemälde und Zeichnungen präsentiert die reichhaltige Publikation Leben und Werk des vom Licht begeisterten Divisionisten und Symbolisten Giovanni Segantini (1858–1899). Sein Wunsch, das in der Höhe der Bergwelt erlebte, strahlend klare Licht in seine Werke zu übertragen, führte zu einer enormen malerischen Entwicklung, die in all seinen Schaffensphasen deutlich wird – angefangen mit der Zeit in der Lombardei in Brianza über die Bilder des Savogniner Bauernlebens bis hin zum Höhepunkt seiner Malerei, die durch die hell strahlende Engadiner Berglandschaft geprägt wurde. Wissenschaftliche Beiträge und literarische Essays würdigen Segantinis Bedeutung als Erneuerer der Landschaftsmalerei und Vorbereiter der Moderne und geben ihm als Maler des Lichtes einen neuen Platz in der internationalen Geschichte der Kunst. (Deutsche Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2759-4) Ausstellung: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel 16.1.–25.4.2011

"The life and work of Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) were defined by his rejection of the academic painting tradition and conservative politics in France. His work marks the beginning of a development that continues to shape our understanding of art today. Courbet's ability to play with the expectations of the viewer, his accents of color, his use of hidden references to classical iconography, and, above all, the emphasis that he placed on his individuality as an artist have made him a key figure in the period of transition from traditional to modern painting. His famous work, L'origine du monde (The Origin of the World, 1866), is the focus of this opulent volume, and it is framed by no less spectacular self-portraits, depictions of women, landscapes, seascapes, and winter images dating from later in his career. Examining the broad spectrum of Courbet's oeuvre, the publication includes the most recent research on the artist's strategy of ambiguity and his revolutionary use of color."--Publisher's website.

Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) was born on December 25, 1911. This book, which is devoted to the central themes of the late artist’s oeuvre, is being published on the occasion of her one-hundredth birthday. It examines her life, her exploration of the works of other artists, and the transformation of her emotions into works of art. Over the course of nine chapters, characteristic works are presented in the context of art history by comparing and contrasting them with works from the Beyeler Collection. The book brings home the fact that Bourgeois not only offset the important antagonism between the figurative and the abstract in modernism, she also helped to provide a unique interpretive level to modern art beyond that of the purely visible. This publication is an introduction to the life and work of a woman who was one of the most important artists of her time.

Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), Sohn des Schweizer Malers Giovanni Giacometti, geboren und aufgewachsen im Bergell, lebte nach Studien in Genf und Rom seit 1922 meist in Paris. In den 1930er-Jahren machte er zunächst Furore im Kreis der Surrealisten und war als Designer für Lampen und Vasen tätig. Während und nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg entwickelte er sein berühmtes Spätwerk, überschlanke Bronzefiguren, die wie Zeichen für die menschliche Existenz wirken. Immer wieder aufs Neue versuchte er, ständig von größter Selbstkritik geleitet, äußere Erscheinung und inneres Wesen des Menschen in seiner Beziehung zu ihm als Plastiker, Maler und Zeichner zu ergründen. Die Idee, Raum und Zeit seien eins, war dabei zentral: Dargestellte Bewegung, aber auch die Bewegung des Betrachters, ist ebenso an den Zeitraum gebunden, in dem sie geschieht, wie auch an den Raum, den sie durchmisst. Der Band aus der Reihe Kunst zum Lesen ist eine kompetente Einführung in Leben und Werk des bedeutenden und zugleich rätselhaften Künstlers, der unser Verständnis von Skulptur im Raum entscheidend neu beeinflusst hat. (Deutsche Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2372-5) Ausstellung: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel 31.5.–11.10.2009 Zur Ausstellung erscheint auch ein Katalog (deutsche Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2348-0; englische Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2349-7) sowie ein Audioguide in der Reihe Kunst zum Hören ( deutsche Ausgabe ISBN 978-3-7757-2392-3).