Friday, June 27, 2008

Hundertwasser-oh my goodness!!!




Hammy brought me home a book from one of his pubs, Prestel, called, "Harvesting Dreams: Hundertwasser for Kids" by Barbara Stieff. I'd never heard of Friedensreich Hundertwasser (which means "Peace-land Hundred-water) before yesterday but I am in awe of and in love with his work today. I have never before seen such beautiful, crazy, organic, life-affirming architecture! His buildings are a crazy-quilt of energy and enthusiasm and JOY! He loved people and nature and believed they could live harmoniously together and designed amazing places to live that honored people in nature. Here's a wonderful quote by him: "If man walks in nature's midst, then he is nature's guest and must learn to behave as a well-brought-up guest." and so he would design apartments which would have trees growing in them and verandas with grass and other plants. And he loved color and abhorred straight lines. He designed for me!


Look at this! It's so beautiful! It's alive, living, breathing! It looks about as close to heaven as I could ever imagine or want; forget streets paved with gold, I'll take roofs paved with grass!

3 comments:

Elizabeth Morisette said...

Love his work. I am currently mosaic tiling my bathroom in his style. Everyone thinks I am mad!

Anonymous said...

I am studying him at school and his work is amazing! It looks so cool!

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth - Don't listen to them. I was told the same, but since it was finished everyone loves the bathroom.

Hundertwasser was decades ahead in his understanding of our place in nature. Unfortunately his disagreements with the art world meant he would never be famous. Shame - he should be taught in all schools.