When Researching on Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival, I came across Friedensreich Hundertwasser, (1928-2000) an Austrian artist and architect who is greatly involved in environmental protection. I have actually paid a visit to the renowned Hundertwasser House in Vienna in my Europe trip 15', yet the foolish me that time didn't realize he's such a great artist. To compensate Mr. Hunderwasser would totally worth the very first feature of this blog : P
Mr. Hundertwasser's mother was Jewish, while his father and him posed as Christians to avoid joining the Hitler Youth during the Second Word War time. Many of Hundertwasser's relatives, including his mother were either put into concentration camp or being persecuted during WWII, which left him terrible perception on war, politics, and perhaps the cruel reality, which helped him setting out on a journey of artistic pursuit.
Hundertwasser atteneded the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna for only three months, he left to travel with a small set of paints to sketch whatever he encountered soon after. In Florence, Italy, he met the young French painter Rene Bro (René Brô) and became good friends. (You may see the similarities of the use of colors between Rene and Hundertwasser).
Painting by Rene, 1930-1986
Land of Men, Birds and Ships by Friedrich Hundertwasser and Rene Bro
*This painting was originally a mural created in partnership with the artist Rene Bro. The mural was painted in 1950 on the walls of a building outside Paris and was saved from demolition in 1964. The full title is "Paradise - Land of men, of trees, birds and ships".
"Irinaland Over the Balkans" by Friedrich Hundertwasser
This woman's face is Bulgaria actress Irina Malaeva. Hundertwasser once said, "I wished to paint a picture which seemed to dissolve and had lots of the Balkans in it. This painting was also inspired by his memories with Irina through an arrays of Casanova adventures, including hiding under the bed for hours, escapting out the window in his pajamas, where the nearby florist completely sympathized with his plight and gave him food and lodging for nothing. (How romantic!)
In his twenties Hundertwasser began to work in the field of applied art, creating flags, coins and posters. Those were the omnipresent items during war times suggesting symbolism and propaganda values. His most famous flag is his koru flag, as well as some postage stamps for the Austrian post office. He also designed stamps for Cape Verde and the United Nations for the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights.
Koru Flag designed by Hundertwasser
Mr. Hundertwasser has begun his study on architecture when he was 55 years old. He has long wished to work and live closely by the nature. From 1950s to 1970s he has been moving around Europe to seek for a refreshing space. From a farm in Normandy, a saw mill area in Austria to Switzerland, he finally flew all over to the Bays of Islands in New Zealand. He built a "Bottle House" (See below) where large solar panels, water wheels and biological purification plant were installed to provide him a self-sufficient living style.
"Bottle House" in New Zealand
The bottle glass toilet inside the artist's studio
If you plan to visit one of Mr. Hundertwasser's buildings, below is the perfect bookmark list for you!
This is where I have visited not knowing its origin! so dumb. This is both an apartment house and expressionist landmark in Vienna that built after the idea and concept of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. I feel proud of the Vienna government to allow this unconventional design to be realized in this city of music. This is a office-apartment buildings, and of course a tourist hot spot where souvenirs shops and cafes were built surrounding the neighborhood. A total of 250 tress and bushes were grown along with the Hundertwasserhaus. Hundertwasser once said, an uneven floor is a divine melody to the feat. I feel glad, to have witnessed this dancing building that lived with the nature with heart beat.
residential building in Bad Soden, Germany
It's hard not to notice this is under the magic hand of Hundertwasser with all the greens popping out from the concrete.
Piochingen, Germany
Hard-not-to-be-seen bright colors, decorations and distorted lines. The way Hundertwasser designed buildings was not according to the architectural guidelines, but the health and visual pollution of the environment. He made numerous restructuring and renewal of residential and functional buildings in order to cope with the principle of energy efficiency and harmony with nature.
Rogner Bad Blumau, modeled on the Kunsthaus Museum, Vienna
*Kunsthaus - 'Art House' in German
Ronald McDonald House in Essen, Germany
There is one meaningful quote written by the architect, "Man has three skins. His own, his clothes and his dwelling. All these three skins must renew themselves, continually grow and change. When, however, the third skin, i.e. the outer wall of his house, does not change and grow like the first skin it petrifies and dies. Houses are growing things like trees. Houses grow like plants, live and continually change.
Maishima Invoineration Plant in Osaka, Japan.
Mr. Hunderwasser conceptualized this building with technology, ecology and art in mind. The plant was built to bit to host the 2008 Olympics. Green was used to represent harmony with nature, while red and white stripes are symbols of combustion flames.
The Kuchlbauer Tower at a brewery in Abensberg, Lower Bavaria, Germany
This tower stands over 115 feet (35.14 metres) tall. Mr. Hundertwasser passed away during the planning phrase of the tower. This gold-plated observation ball was supposed to be bigger and the building was supposed to be taller at 70 meters. However the Bavarian State Conservation Office objected the original plan by arguing that would impair the skyline of the old town.
Want a even longer list?
click here: http://www.lovethesepics.com/2015/04/unconventional-dr-seuss-like-architecture-of-hundertwasser-41-pics/
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