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Nils Udo: Art In Nature
Sculptures that burst into flower, grow foliage, and change color with the seasons; sculptures that are buried in snow and metamorphosized by the originality of Nils-Udo's work, when compared to that of Land Artists in general, lies in the way he harnesses the vital spark of nature itself as an integral part of his creative activity. Nature is no longer simply a model, but instead the very object of the artistic process. If Nils-Udo's work have had such strong resonance since he began working with nature in 1972, transcending borders and categorization, it is doubtless because his creations are rooted in a quest shared by all human we look for ourselves in nature and nature makes us look at ourselves.
In his installations and arrangements, Nils-Udo works in a series of undestructive gestures; he makes simple changes, subtle realignments that bring colors, plants, and other natural elements together. The most ordinary of materials becomes the focal point of an artistic composition, crystallizing in miniature the whole spectrum of natural forms that have inspired architecture and ornament throughout civilization. The artist acts as mediator. And therein lies a profound artistic creativity is the fruit of solitary reflection and activity, an exclusively personal journey. The role of the work of art is to share a private vision, a unique way of looking at the world.
To record this journey, Nils-Udo uses photography to document the various phases of the living process of change in his work. Through his photographs, we observe the growth, life, and occasionally the death of a work of art.
This book features 109 installations by Nils-Udo, most accompanied by the artist's own comments on the origins of the piece. The text, by art critic Hubert Besacier, places Nils-Udo's art in the history of artistic practice, and explains his working methods, the materials he uses, and the difficulties he sometimes encounters.
The viewer is left to be absorbed by the enigmatic silence of the images that Nils-Udo proposes.
In his installations and arrangements, Nils-Udo works in a series of undestructive gestures; he makes simple changes, subtle realignments that bring colors, plants, and other natural elements together. The most ordinary of materials becomes the focal point of an artistic composition, crystallizing in miniature the whole spectrum of natural forms that have inspired architecture and ornament throughout civilization. The artist acts as mediator. And therein lies a profound artistic creativity is the fruit of solitary reflection and activity, an exclusively personal journey. The role of the work of art is to share a private vision, a unique way of looking at the world.
To record this journey, Nils-Udo uses photography to document the various phases of the living process of change in his work. Through his photographs, we observe the growth, life, and occasionally the death of a work of art.
This book features 109 installations by Nils-Udo, most accompanied by the artist's own comments on the origins of the piece. The text, by art critic Hubert Besacier, places Nils-Udo's art in the history of artistic practice, and explains his working methods, the materials he uses, and the difficulties he sometimes encounters.
The viewer is left to be absorbed by the enigmatic silence of the images that Nils-Udo proposes.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2002
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 19, 2024
1. English Review
2. Critique en Français - livre existe en traduction
1. English Review
A very beautiful natural and non-destructive art installation book
Nils Udo started working with nature in 1972, photographing installations he’d made in non-destructive ways, setting plants in original forms which aren’t always natural yet nature could’ve done. This beautiful book proposes 109 photographed and commented installations over 114 pages, divided in 8 settings: water, bamboo, nests, berries, leaves, flowers and petals, roots, stones, snow and lastly, desert.
Art critique Hubert Besacier then places Nils’ work and explains the artistic methods behind the installations, in a short 35 pages chapter, but with more text than Nils’s own descriptions.
The book could inspire you to try your hand at nature photography, and maybe even to follow in his footsteps and setup installations – with respect to Mother Earth’s gifts.
It ends with a selected biography for Nils Udo’s work between 1950’s and 2002, and a bibliography.
********************
2. Critique en Français - Fut traduit vers le Français sous le bon titre "L'Art dans la nature"
Un très beau livre d'installation d'art naturel et non destructives
Critique pour la version en Anglais : (la VF aura des paginations différentes, forcément).
Nils Udo a commencé à travailler avec la nature en 1972, de photographier les installations qu'il avait faites de manière non destructive, la mise de plantes en formes originales qui ne sont pas toujours naturelles et que pourtant la nature aurait pu faire. Ce beau livre propose 109 installations photographiées et commentées sur 114 pages, divisées en 8 chapitres: l'eau, le bambou, les nids, les baies, les feuilles, les fleurs et les pétales, les racines, les pierres, la neige et enfin, sur le désert.
Le critique d'art Hubert Besacier place ensuite le travail de Nils et explique les méthodes artistiques derrière les installations, dans un court chapitre de 35 pages, mais avec plus de texte que proprent les descriptions de Nils.
Le livre pourrait vous inciter à essayer votre main à la photographie de nature, et peut-être même de suivre ses traces et des installations - à l'égard des dons de la Terre Mère.
Il se termine par une biographie sélectionnée pour le travail de Nils Udo entre 1950 et 2002, et une bibliographie.
2. Critique en Français - livre existe en traduction
1. English Review
A very beautiful natural and non-destructive art installation book
Nils Udo started working with nature in 1972, photographing installations he’d made in non-destructive ways, setting plants in original forms which aren’t always natural yet nature could’ve done. This beautiful book proposes 109 photographed and commented installations over 114 pages, divided in 8 settings: water, bamboo, nests, berries, leaves, flowers and petals, roots, stones, snow and lastly, desert.
Art critique Hubert Besacier then places Nils’ work and explains the artistic methods behind the installations, in a short 35 pages chapter, but with more text than Nils’s own descriptions.
The book could inspire you to try your hand at nature photography, and maybe even to follow in his footsteps and setup installations – with respect to Mother Earth’s gifts.
It ends with a selected biography for Nils Udo’s work between 1950’s and 2002, and a bibliography.
********************
2. Critique en Français - Fut traduit vers le Français sous le bon titre "L'Art dans la nature"
Un très beau livre d'installation d'art naturel et non destructives
Critique pour la version en Anglais : (la VF aura des paginations différentes, forcément).
Nils Udo a commencé à travailler avec la nature en 1972, de photographier les installations qu'il avait faites de manière non destructive, la mise de plantes en formes originales qui ne sont pas toujours naturelles et que pourtant la nature aurait pu faire. Ce beau livre propose 109 installations photographiées et commentées sur 114 pages, divisées en 8 chapitres: l'eau, le bambou, les nids, les baies, les feuilles, les fleurs et les pétales, les racines, les pierres, la neige et enfin, sur le désert.
Le critique d'art Hubert Besacier place ensuite le travail de Nils et explique les méthodes artistiques derrière les installations, dans un court chapitre de 35 pages, mais avec plus de texte que proprent les descriptions de Nils.
Le livre pourrait vous inciter à essayer votre main à la photographie de nature, et peut-être même de suivre ses traces et des installations - à l'égard des dons de la Terre Mère.
Il se termine par une biographie sélectionnée pour le travail de Nils Udo entre 1950 et 2002, et une bibliographie.
Displaying 1 of 1 review