Franz West - Buy or sell works
16 February 1947, Vienna (Austria) – 25 July 2012, Vienna (Austria)
The Austrian artist Franz West gained international renown for his three-dimensional sculptures, works on paper, and posters. In addition, his oeuvre also comprised performances. He continued to be one of the most influential visual artists after World War II.
Following his beginnings as a draughtsman, West devoted himself to sculpture early in his career. By developing his widely recognised ‘Adaptives’ in the early 1970s, he created undefined sculptures made of such diverse materials as plaster or metal. These pieces could be worn on the body, thus functioning as prostheses or ‘growths’.
After completing his studies at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, West made a name for himself on the art scene in the 1980s with his first exhibitions. Franz West represented Austria at the Venice Biennale In 1993 and between 1992 and 1994 was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Frankfurt am Main. In 2011, he was honoured with the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale as a lifetime achievement award.
His art was always meant to encourage communication and interaction. Defamiliarising and ironising daily objects, West’s works attempt to bridge the gap between art and reality.