Friedensreich Hundertwasser was born in Vienna in 1928. He initially gained acclaim for his paintings, however he is currently more renowned for his unique architectural stylings. His works has been used for flags and stamps, coins and posters, schools and churches.
Hundertwasser resided in a home in Venice across from the Piazza San Marco. The city provided a unique inspiration for his art. The ever present water yielded patterns and reflections in the colourful light, the clothes that hang from windows offered him a dizzying array of jumbled colours, and the natural aging of the buildings made mould and decay strangely beautiful. .
Hundertwasser believed strongly in all art as decoration, to inspire, provoke and express.
Hundertwasser's paintings have been described as "heavy, rigid, archaic and primitive."" This primitivism has been seen mostly through his use of colour and line.
Hundertwasser can be considered a "colourist" painter, as colour is the dominant element of all his work. He uses highly saturated colours regardless of subject matter.
The colours of decay also attracted Hundertwasser. He finds the colours associated with mould to be an expression of the living nature of inanimate objects, particularly buildings. He finds that mould adds to the beauty of structures.
Spirals are the primary shapes in Hundertwasser's paintings. They can be seen both literally and figuratively in most of his work, from stair cases, windows and simply in his painting.
Hundertwasser expresses an dislike in severity and strictness in architecture which he sees in the use of straight lines. "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." (Hundertwasser).
Hundertwasser views building only as true architecture if its control is in the hands of an architect/mason/tenant. That is, the tenant should be directly responsible for the planning and implementation of building their home.
