Lovely

Hundertwasser..... I fell in love with this artist and i think you will too.  Soo, here is some information I have learned about him:

He utilized bright colors, organic forms, and tried to reconcile humans with nature, with his strong individualism and rejection of straight lines. 

He called his theory of art "transautomatism.” It is the idea that different people see different things in the same picture and that picture should be less what the artist wants us to see, and more about how we interpret it.  

Hundertwasser believed that straight lines are 'godless and immoral.'  He thought that, as humans, we have lost out connection to the organic geometry of nature by forcing ourselves to exist in boxes as homes. He believed in the fluidity of line and shape and was fascinated with spirals.  He thought they represented us perfectly as humans; going in circles, yet never exactly in the same place and never identical to the last loop.  

He created revolutionary architectural designs, which incorporate natural features of the landscape, and irregular forms of building designs.  The features include undulating floors ("an uneven floor is a melody to the feet"), a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows.  In creating parks of grass and trees above the buildings he thought we would be able to double the space and improve the environment. 

His last project was named Die Grüne Zitadelle von Magdeburg. Although he never finished this work completely, the building was put up a few years later in central Germany.  It is the picture above.

He believed, “The flat floor is an invention of the architects. It fits engines - not human beings.  If modern man is forced to walk on flat asphalt and concrete floors as they were planned thoughtlessely in designers' offices, estranged from man's age old relationship and contact to earth, a crucial part of man withers and dies. This has catastrophic consequences for the soul, the equilibrium, the well-being and the health of man.  An uneven and animated floor is the recoverery of man's mental equilibrium, of the dignity of man which has been violated in our levelling, unnatural and hostile urban grid system.  The uneven floor becomes a symphony, a melody for the feet and brings back natural vibrations to man and architecture should elevate and not subdue man.  It is good to walk on uneven floors and regain our human balance.” I love that!

He designed KuntHausWien (the museum in Vienna we went to) and took no payment for the design, declaring that it was worth it, to "prevent something ugly from going up in its place".  He was also asked to design one of the Ronald Mc Donald House's for children suffering from cancer in Essen/Grugapark, and i think thats lovely. 

Finally.....In the museum in Vienna, they had some of his quotes displayed and Lyds and I wrote down some we liked. These are them: 

"Our present, planned architecture cannot be considered art.  Our modern buildings are detached and pitiable compromises by men of bad conscience who work with straight - edged rulers."

"If we do not honor our past, we lose our future.  If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow."

"Our real illiteracy is our inability to create.  To paint is a religious activity." 

"God is a creator.  If man wants to fulfill his purpose as God's image he also has to be creative.  If man is creative he comes nearer to God." (If you know me at all you would understand why I love this.  Its like he quoted my thoughts)

"A church should be beautiful.  One should like to go inside and they should feel at home inside.  One should find in it a bridge to GOd, to nature, and to creation.  God should like to go into this house of God, built by man, to meet with him there."

The thing I really loved about his art was just that it was an expression.  It was made to be beautiful.  It was made because he enjoyed it.  It was made because he wanted others to celebrate creativity and realize its energy.  And I think thats what art should be about.  There shouldn't be rules or expectations, and everyone is capable of creating something...anything...it should organically spring forth from their own, individual ability, however it manifests itself within that person.  Ok, I'll stop...