Designers 21st century
Vito Acconci was an American artist, designer, and architect. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field of performance art and for his provocative installations that explore the relationship between the human body and space.
Acconci received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College in 1962. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Acconci became known for his groundbreaking performance works, which often involved the artist subjecting his own body to various forms of physical and psychological stress.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Acconci shifted his focus to installation art, creating immersive environments that challenged viewers' perceptions of space and their own bodies. He also worked as a designer and architect, creating public sculptures and buildings around the world.
Acconci's work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Venice Biennale. He received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to contemporary art, including the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture in 1995.
His legacy as an influential and provocative artist continues to be felt in the contemporary art world today.
Yaacov Agam, an Israeli kinetic and optical artist born on May 11, 1928, is celebrated for revolutionizing the visual arts with his dynamic and interactive creations. Agam's pioneering work extends beyond traditional static art forms, inviting viewers into a transformative experience that changes with perspective and movement. His art, deeply rooted in his Jewish heritage and mysticism, eschews representational imagery for abstract, geometric forms and vibrant colors, engaging the observer's perception to complete the visual experience.
Notably, Agam's contributions to kinetic art have not only garnered him international acclaim but also led to his works commanding the highest prices among Israeli artists at auction. His innovative "Agamographs" use lenticular printing to create illusions of depth and motion, highlighting his fascination with the interplay between art, viewer, and the temporal dimension. Agam's significant exhibitions include retrospectives at the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. His achievements are further recognized through multiple awards and the establishment of the Yaacov Agam Museum of Art in his hometown of Rishon LeZion, Israel, dedicated to his vision of art in motion.
For collectors and art and antiques experts, Agam's work represents a profound exploration of perception, time, and spirituality, offering a unique and engaging experience. His art invites us to see beyond the visible, reminding us of the ever-changing nature of reality and our active role in its perception. To stay updated on new product sales and auction events related to Yaacov Agam, sign up for updates and immerse yourself in the dynamic world of one of the most influential modern artists.
Craig Alan is an American artist whose work displays a technical sophistication as well as a rich imagination.
After moving with his family to New Orleans, Alan worked as a street artist in his youth, creating portraits. Through his exceptional talent and through his own research, he eventually developed an admirable understanding and sense of textures, compositions and colors. Today, Craig Alan represents a wide range of artistic styles, from book illustration to naturalistic oil painting and his Populus Art.
Valery Vladimirovich Androsov (Russian: Валерий Владимирович Андросов) is a Soviet and contemporary Russian artist. He is known as a sculptor, architect, designer, painter, graphic artist and teacher.
Valery Androsov creates landscapes, still lifes and portraits, as well as fantasy works. He is also known as the author of a large collection of ex-libris that accurately convey the character and interests of book owners. At different periods he served as chief artist of the Mosstroiplastmass Combine and director of the Mytishchi Picture Gallery. He also created monuments to those who died in the Great Patriotic War and to the pilots of the Mytishchi Aero Club, showing his skill in various artistic directions.
Richard Joseph Anuszkiewicz was a prominent American artist celebrated for his foundational contributions to the Op Art movement. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Polish immigrant parents, Anuszkiewicz's early talent in art earned him scholarships, leading to his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Art and later, the Yale University School of Art and Architecture under Josef Albers. Albers, a pivotal figure in his career, inspired Anuszkiewicz to explore the intricacies of color and geometric forms, steering him away from realism towards a more abstract and mathematical approach to art.
Anuszkiewicz gained prominence in the 1960s, notably through his participation in the landmark exhibition "The Responsive Eye" at MoMA, which played a crucial role in propelling Op Art into mainstream recognition. His works, characterized by vibrant colors and geometric patterns, create illusions of depth and movement, challenging viewers' perceptions and offering a mesmerizing visual experience. His technique was not just about the visual impact; it was a meticulous, mathematical exploration of color and form, aiming to achieve a 'very, very mechanistic geometry' that was nonetheless romantic in its precision and purity.
Throughout his career, Anuszkiewicz's art evolved, yet he remained faithful to his intellectual and analytical approach, focusing on the optical effects of color and shape. His contributions extended beyond painting to include printmaking and sculpture, showcasing his versatility as an artist. Notably, his works are housed in prestigious collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Anuszkiewicz's work embodies the confluence of scientific precision and artistic expression, offering insights into the profound impact of color and form on human perception. His legacy continues to inspire and challenge the boundaries of visual art.
If you're captivated by the transformative power of Op Art and the pioneering work of Richard Joseph Anuszkiewicz, sign up for updates. Stay informed about new product sales and auction events related to this remarkable artist's oeuvre, enriching your collection with pieces that resonate with history and innovation.
Ron Arad (Hebrew: רון ארד) is a contemporary Israeli-born artist, architect, and designer known for his innovative and boundary-pushing creations.
Throughout his career, Arad has explored various materials and techniques, embracing both handcrafted and technological processes. His designs often blur the boundaries between art and design, challenging conventional notions of form and function. Arad's furniture pieces are characterized by their sculptural qualities, organic shapes, and a sense of fluidity.
Daniel Arsham is an American artist and sculptor, co-founder and partner of the design firm Snarkitecture. Lives and works in New York. His projects include collaborations with James Franco, Hajime Sorayama, Merce Cunningham, Heidi Slimane and Pharrell Williams. He has also done commissions for brands such as Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton.
Christian Ludwig Attersee, born Christian Ludwig, is an Austrian media artist living in Vienna and Semmering in Lower Austria.
The artist took his middle name, Attersee, from the area where he spent his youth. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts and his work was characterized early on by flamboyant sexualization. He is known not only as a visual artist, but also as a musician, writer, object artist, designer, stage designer and film director. In the 1960s and 1970s he also created series on themes of food, everyday objects, beauty and cosmetics.
Attersee is known above all as one of the leading representatives of objective painting in Europe in the last 50 years. In the second half of the seventies he became the founder of the "New Austrian Painting". From 1990 to 2009, Atterse held a chair at the Vienna University of Applied Arts.
Gaetana (Gae) Aulenti was an Italian architect and designer who was active in furniture design, graphic design, stage design, lighting design, exhibition and interior design. She was known for her contributions to the design of important museums such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (in collaboration with ACT Architecture), the Contemporary Art Gallery at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the restoration of Palazzo Grassi in Venice, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (in collaboration with HOK Architects). Aulenti was one of only a few women architects and designers who gained notoriety in their own right during the post-war period in Italy, where Italian designers sought to make meaningful connections to production principles, and influenced culture far beyond Italy. This avant-garde design movement blossomed into an entirely new type of architecture and design, one full of imaginary utopias leaving standardization to the past.
Richard Avedon was an American photographer and artist known for his iconic portraits and fashion photography.
Avedon began his career as a photographer in the late 1940s, working as a freelance photographer for magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. He soon became known for his distinctive style, which was characterized by his use of simple, uncluttered backgrounds and his ability to capture the essence of his subjects.
Throughout his career, Avedon photographed some of the most famous people of his time, including Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, and The Beatles. He was also known for his fashion photography, and his work appeared in many fashion magazines, including Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.
Avedon's work was often controversial, as he challenged traditional notions of beauty and fashion. He was known for his willingness to push boundaries, and his work was often seen as a reflection of the social and political issues of his time.
Today, Avedon is regarded as one of the most important photographers of the 20th century, and his work continues to inspire artists and photographers around the world.
Trisha Baga is an American artist working in various media, including video installations, sculpture, painting and audio installations. She is known for her experiments with technology and often uses voice and body in her work.
Her work is often interactive and a combination of different elements such as projections, sounds, objects and movement. She is also known for her use of private elements such as mobile phones to create unique and personal works of art.
Trisha Baga draws on the heritage of sculpture, painting, music, photography and literature in her practice. Among the subjects and themes she explores are contemporary events, the worship of heroes and celebrities, and collective history. Baga's installations often include film, consisting of montages and collages of found footage and photographs, stacked in such a way that some images obscure others; the films are projected directly onto the wall, over personal items and rubbish from her studio so that they cast shadows on the projection.
Her work has been exhibited in many museums and galleries around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Venice Biennale.
Margit Balla is a Hungarian artist, graphic artist, illustrator, director, stage designer and costume designer.
She studied typography at the Academy of Applied Arts in Budapest, mainly making posters, book illustrations, later working more and more with pictorial graphics. In her posters Margit Balla combines impressions from old prints with contemporary trends such as pop art. Her figurative compositions are easily recognizable by her special surrealistic drawing style.
Since 2000, Margit Balla has been working as a production designer for the Budapest Puppet Theater.
Carlo Bartoli is an Italian architect and designer. Author of numerous projects, such as the Gaia chair, included in the permanent design collection of the MoMA in New York and the Milan Triennale Design Museum, and the 4875 chair for Kartell, the world's first made of polypropylene, as well as part of the design collection of the Pompidou Center in Paris.
Mary Hildegard Ruth Bauermeister was a German artist who worked in sculpture, drawing, installation, performance, and music. Influenced by Fluxus artists and Nouveau Réalisme, her work addresses esoteric issues of how information is transferable through society. Beginning in the 1970s, her work concentrated on the themes surrounding New Age spirituality, specifically geomancy, the divine interpretation of lines on the ground.
Zdzisław Beksiński was a Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor, specializing in the field of dystopian surrealism.
Beksiński made his paintings and drawings in what he called either a Baroque or a Gothic manner. His creations were made mainly in two periods. The first period of work is generally considered to contain expressionistic color, with a strong style of «utopian realism» and surreal architecture, like a doomsday scenario. The second period contained more abstract style, with the main features of formalism.
Mario Bellini is an Italian architect and designer. After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1959, Bellini pursued a career as an architect, exhibition designer, product designer, and furniture designer, during the Italian economic boom of the late 20th century. Bellini has received several accolades in a variety of design fields, including eight Compasso d'Oro awards, and the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the Triennale di Milano. In 2019, the Italian President of the Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, awarded Bellini a career medal, in recognition of his contributions to Italian architecture and design.
Gerald Adrian Sallis Benney was a British silver and goldsmith who along with David Mellor and Robert Welch popularised stainless steel designs in post-war British homes. Like Mellor and Welch he was influenced by modern Scandinavian design and in particular Georg Jensen.
Sadie T. Benning is an American artist, who has worked primarily in video, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and sound. Benning creates experimental films and explores a variety of themes including surveillance, gender, ambiguity, transgression, play, intimacy, and identity. They became a known artist as a teenager, with their short films made with a PixelVision camera that have been described as "video diaries".
Igor Borisovich Berezovsky was a Soviet and Russian artist, graphic artist and designer.
Igor Berezovsky was interested in the texture of television images; he reproduced magazine photographs and brought them to the brink of extinction with the help of large screen prints; he introduced unexpected textures into images using all kinds of "rubbish"; he paraphrased Folon and Dibbets, Warhol and Dürer.
Alexandra Bircken is a German artist, designer and installer who graduated from the Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design.
The main theme in Alexandra Birkcen's work is the shell. She explores and combines a variety of materials - wool, concrete, wood, bone, everyday objects and clothing, and creates sculptural objects from them. The artist also uses objects that she encounters in everyday life: cars, motorcycles, surgical shirts, rocking horses, skis. However, she strips them of their familiar contexts and surprises us with unusual combinations.
Peter Thomas Blake is an English pop artist. He co-created the sleeve design for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. His other works include the covers for two of The Who's albums, the cover of the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and the Live Aid concert poster. Blake also designed the 2012 Brit Award statuette.
Blake is a prominent figure in the pop art movement. Central to his paintings are his interest in images from popular culture which have infused his collages. In 2002 he was knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to art.
Quentin Saxby Blake is an English cartoonist, caricaturist, illustrator and children's writer. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by Roald Dahl, which are among his most popular works.[a] For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2002, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 1999 to 2001, he was the inaugural British Children's Laureate. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators.
Andreas Böhm is a German painter, graphic artist and art teacher at Brunsbüttel Upper Secondary School from 1980. He lives and works in Dingen, Schleswig-Holstein.
For a long time Andreas Bem was known for his stencil drawings, which are like silhouettes with just two or three thick layers of paint. As an artist, he continued to play with shapes, but now adapted the free lines of wildlife.
Mario Botta, a Swiss architect born in 1943, is celebrated for his profound contributions to contemporary architecture. His work is characterized by a robust geometric style and profound respect for historical context, often integrating modern elements with traditional designs. Botta's designs are known for their distinct use of brick and strong shapes, such as circles, squares, and triangles, which make his buildings instantly recognizable.
Among his notable projects are the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Evry, France. These structures exemplify his approach to blending new construction technologies with classical forms. The museum, in particular, showcases his ability to manipulate space and light, creating dynamic environments for displaying art. His buildings are not just structures but are often considered sculptural works that enhance their surroundings.
Mario Botta's influence extends beyond architecture into design and education, where he has mentored generations of architects. His work is displayed in numerous exhibitions worldwide and serves as a testament to the enduring power of integrating contemporary design with traditional elements. Collectors and experts in architecture appreciate Botta’s unique ability to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary places.
For those interested in the innovative work of Mario Botta, consider signing up for updates on new project unveilings and auction events related to his creations. This subscription ensures you stay informed about the latest developments and opportunities to engage with Botta's influential designs.
Michel Boyer was one of the last great interior designers who remained true to the principles of modernity.
Boyer collaborated with Dior, Lanvin, Balmain and designed interiors for hotels, embassies and numerous corporate headquarters. His private clients have included Elie de Rothschild, Liliane Betancourt and Karim Aga Khan.
Christian Brandl is a German artist who lives and works in Leipzig.
He studied painting at the Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts.
Brandl's static paintings are reminiscent of 1950s psychological thrillers or even cartoons. They depict people without emotion, often in situations that are difficult to explain, the events on the canvases and the subjects are difficult to recognize.
Benjamin Bronni is a German artist, sculptor, and architect.
He studied at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design and works on a symbiosis of painting, sculpture and installations. Bronny has a strong interest in architecture, so he often develops site-specific works. In paper works, paintings and plastic wall objects, Benjamin Bronni explores the rhythmic fusion of form and space. The artist performs his work by hand, but also uses digital processes such as 3D rendering.
Laurel Burch, born Laurel Anne Hart, was an American artist, designer and businesswoman.
Laurel Burch's art was noted for its bold use of colour, intricate patterns and fantasy design. Her signature style often featured animal motifs, mythical creatures and fantastical elements, executed with a joyful and vibrant energy. Her work radiated optimism, celebrating the beauty and magic of life.
Stefano Calisti is an Italian artist. His paintings, characterised by an unusually lively colour palette, have been widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. His favourite subjects include landscape, evoking associations with colour, matter and light.
Calisti's work is characterised by his attention to colour and texture, often creating a sense of movement and dynamism in his works. Behind an intense bordering on surrealist colour, a conceptual element emerges in which naturalness and artificiality are juxtaposed.
Throughout his career, Calisti has exhibited widely in Italy and abroad, including solo shows. He has also participated in group exhibitions at the Venice Biennale and the Museum of Modern Art in Rome.
Louis Cane is a contemporary French painter, sculptor and furniture designer. Louis Cane attended the National School of Decorative Arts in Nice then the Superior School of Decorative arts in Paris in 1961. Cane was a part of the Supports/Surfaces Movement in France that lasted from 1969 to 1972 and co-founded and edited the Peinture, Cahiers Theoriques. In 1978, began sculpting again. They consisted of female figures in a traditional style. Cane focused on the concept of deconstruction of the canvas. By 1970, Cane transitioned into a series of cut-out paintings, the toiles découpées, which he worked with for several years. From 1972 to 1972, he produced a series called Sol/Mur as apart of the Supports/Surfaces movement. In 1978, Cane went from abstract painting to figuration. He reflected on the history of pictorial forms. He also started integrating sculpture into his practice. The statues were almost exclusively female occasionally appearing in form of burlesque or baroque expressionism.
Achille Castiglioni was an Italian architect and designer of furniture, lighting, radiograms and other objects. As a professor of design, he advised his students "If you are not curious, forget it. If you are not interested in others, what they do and how they act, then being a designer is not the right job for you."
Wendell Castle was an American artist and designer who is considered one of the pioneers of American studio furniture. He is best known for his innovative and sculptural furniture designs that blur the boundaries between art and function.
In the 1960s, Wendell Castle began experimenting with traditional woodworking techniques and pushing the boundaries of furniture design. He gained recognition for his unique handcrafted pieces that challenged traditional notions of furniture aesthetics. Castle's work often features organic shapes, flowing lines and a sense of whimsy. He has used a variety of materials to create his sculptural furniture, including wood, fibreglass and plastic.
Roberto Ceccherini is a contemporary Italian artist and sculptor.
In the early eighties he began his artistic quest outside the constraints of serial production, creating compositions and sculptures that stand out for their plastic-chromatic balance and expressive power.
Ado Chale is a Belgian artist and designer best known for his exquisite mosaic inlays. Pieces of wood, minerals, or bone are sliced, arranged, and coated with resin to form the opulent surfaces. His furniture and domestic objects reference the natural world not only through the use of precious stones, metals, and organic materials, but also through the textures, patterns, and forms they express. Chale opened his first gallery in 1962. He exhibited jewelry and small side tables adorned with his unique inlay and sourced various gems and rocks via international travel. The self-taught craftsman then incorporated his acquisitions into larger pieces of furniture and sculptures attractive for their beauty and novelty in the 1970s. His work has been exhibited at the Ixelles Museum in Belgium, in France at the Museum of Fine Arts in Nancy and the Palais des Papes in Avignon, and in Japan at retail chain Seibu’s contemporary art museum.
Ferdinando Codognotto is an Italian artist, designer and sculptor.
He is one of the most important representatives of the world's cultural scene.
His wooden works can be found in public and private collections in Europe, America and Japan.
