Stahlbau VHP 220

Material

Steel, 88.0 x 55.0 cm

Datierung

–

About the artist

James Licini belongs to the most important Swiss iron sculptors since the 1970s. Because of his training as a locksmith, his knowledge of material and technical perfection have become the trademark of his work.
His early oeuvre produced between 1968 and 1973 includes assemblages of welded scrap metal reminiscent of working equipment in a locksmith’s shop. In his later works produced until 1982 Licini drew from his earlier occupation as locksmith and he made stelae, compact compositions and interlocked tubular parts made of brass. At the same time he crafted dysfunctional, ironic parables of the mechanic world. The anthropomorphic and zoomorphic references in his works of 1982-83 became more accentuated in the transition to his late oeuvre. The stelae mutated into more delicate figures in 1985-86, evidencing the artist’s search for new forms of expression.
The steel sculptures produced between 1986-87, inspired by Licini’s work in the construction sector, are simply called ‘steel construction’. These works consist of double-T-girders, angle irons and massive steel plates, directly obtained from factory. Due to their plain functional beauty and the contemporary use of the material these sculptures express a modern world outlook that conjoins art and industry symbiotically.