hundertwasser

A few days ago I was browsing the sale section on CB2.com and spotted this neat pillow. They call it "la bicicleta" and I can't help but feel that it was inspired by the art of Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

The only reason I am acquainted with Hundertwasser's work is because my parents bought two of his woodblock prints in the 70s, a big investment for them at the time. During my childhood, these prints hung in our family room, and for most of my life I thought they were strange and psychedelic and had no place in my family's traditional home.

Spectacles in the Small Face

When I was studying abroad in Europe in college, I found myself in Vienna at Kunst Haus Vien, a building co-designed by Hundertwasser which now houses a great deal of his incredible art and furniture. I remember calling my parents to tell them that I finally "got it".  At the museum store I bought as many small books and postcards as I could fit in my bag. Just months after I was in Vienna, I read that Hundertwasser had died.

Blob Grows in Beloved Gardens

Recently, after years of begging, my parents allowed me to take one of the prints home to hang in my apartment (see Spectacles above). Even though my parents still treasure it, it no longer "works" with my mother's design aesthetic. Make no mistake, it is most certainly "on loan". But I know they are glad that I can appreciate it now, and every time I walk in the door and see it, it makes me happy.

It also makes me want to invest in art. Perhaps something by a lesser known artist that I can treasure for years to come.

Endless Way to You is my favorite Hundertwasser painting, and I must have stared at for 20 minutes when I saw it in Vienna. This one has a special place in my heart as I once logged many hours behind the wheel of a car during a long-distance relationship. I really love the detail of the windshield wipers.

Endless Way to You

The Pucker Gallery right here in Boston has a great selection of Hundertwasser's work if you're in the market for an original.  Or if you'd like to see more, go here.