Living room atlas with rivet stand

Material

Steel; 165 x 440 x 100 cm

Dating

1972-2001

About the artist

The Swiss iron sculptor, illustrator and graphic designer belonged to the most significant representatives of iron sculpture, alongside with Robert Jakobsen, Rudolf Hoflehner and Carel Visser. Luginbühl screwed, bent and welded together industrially made individual parts, such as sheet, rods, tubes and findings, to large-sized sculptures. A characteristic feature of the artist’s work is the tension between movement and countermovement, between dynamic elements looming into space and supporting structures control¬ling the movements.
In case of doubt, the artist favoured power over elegance and outdid his forerunners with energy and sheer mass. All of his primeval colossuses seem to strive for movement despite their massive structural presence. Finally – owing to the close friendship with Jean Tinguely – Luginbühl realised his moving Atlas-series: delicate monstrosities leisurely rock humongous iron balls over a track made from iron rods. The construction of the sculptures was accompanied from scratch with indian ink, pencil and felt pen drawings as well as lithographs and drypoint.