Franz West

Untitled

Epoxy resin and lacquer

215 x 622 x 140 cm

Executed in 2009

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Franz West (1947 – 2012) was an Austrian artist who worked across collage and sculpture. West belonged to a generation of artists influenced by the Actionist and Performance Art of the 1960s and 70s who used objects to challenge the usually passive relationship between artwork and viewer. West created brightly- coloured, tactile works that were supposed to be touched, held, manipulated. His dynamic practice bridged the gap between performance and sculpture.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Untitled is typical of Franz West’s buoyant, dynamic sculpture; a curl of pink lacquered resin. Its abstract shape is intended to trigger personal associations in our minds; what does it look like to me? The shape of this work in particular could recall a written scribble; a written word gone rogue; a letter that has lost its shape. It is a homage to West’s fascination with the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose critique of language deeply inspired West. Wittgenstein theorised that every word we speak is all part of a language game. For Wittgenstein, language games were similar to an inside joke: you would only get the joke if you were in on the joke. Likewise, you only understand the language being used if you are familiar with the language. The language of fun was integral to West’s tactile, bright, playful work.