Spiraling Ideas. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, hero of fluid forms and ecology

Architect, artist, ecological visionary, Friedensreich Hundertwasser left a thrilling trail of imagination and activism in buildings, paintings, manifestos, and more. From naked addresses and tree planting campaigns to the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Hundertwasser refused the straight line in every sense. His vision was as much for society at large as for singular buildings.

Vivid colour, organic forms, and loathing of straight lines were just a few stalwart characteristics in the unique practice of Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000). A non-conformist hero, the artist, architect, and activist left a blazing trail of imagination and ideas in buildings, paintings, manifestos, initiatives, and more.

Hundertwasser’s best-known work is considered by many to be the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, a structural synthesis of the vitality and uniqueness that determined the artist’s entire oeuvre. For Hundertwasser, rational, sterile, monotonous buildings caused human misery. He called for a boycott of the modernist paradigm championed by the likes of Adolf Loos, and campaigned instead for an architecture of creative freedom and ecological commitment. A fierce opponent of straight lines, which he called “godless and immoral,” Hundertwasser was fascinated by the spiral, drawing also on the Secessionist forms of Klimt and Schiele.

This richly illustrated book traces Hundertwasser’s style and vision not only for each building but for society at large. From naked addresses at the end of the 1960s to worldwide architecture projects and alternative blueprints for society, author Pierre Restany explores Hundertwasser’s most high-profile and innovative ideas in a thrilling introduction to a pioneering 20th-century mind.

About the author:

Pierre Restany (1930-2003) was brought up in Morocco. He later studied in France, Italy, and Ireland. In 1963 he worked on the art and architecture journal "Domus", and since 1985 he has edited the magazine "D'ARS". His meeting with Yves Klein in 1955 inspired his 1960 theory of "Nouveau Réalisme" and he founded an art-group of the same name in Paris. He wrote and published extensively on the art of the twentieth century.

About the series:

Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Art series features:

- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions 

Spiralling Ideas. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, hero of fluid forms and ecology

Architect, artist, ecological visionary, Friedensreich Hundertwasser left a thrilling trail of imagination and activism in buildings, paintings, manifestos, and more. From naked addresses and tree-planting campaigns to the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Hundertwasser refused the straight line in every sense. His vision was as much for society at large as for singular buildings.

Friedrich Stowasser, born in Vienna in 1928, called himself Friedensreich Hundertwasser Regentag Dunkelbunt. True to the variety of his names, his practice spanned innumerable forms — from painting and designing buildings to creating stamps and coins — and his titles were many: environmental activist, philosopher, individualist, architect, ecologist, and visual artist. He was, in his own words, “one who awakens identities.”

Across his work, Hundertwasser embraced the biomorphic, the irregular, and the irrational. Drawing inspiration from masters as varied as Gaudí and Gustav Klimt, his categorical rejection of the “godless and immoral” straight line, as well as his boycott of “monotonous architecture,” infused his bold, colourful works with a vitality that set him aside from most. Born of this fervent activism and unique universe was his own belief system, called “transautomatism,” which privileged the viewer’s experience above all. Whether he was planting trees in urban settings or proclaiming the “right to a window,” Hundertwasser’s visions of a harmonious future between humans and nature continue to resonate with increasing urgency.

Once out of print, this re-edition of a TASCHEN classic works in close collaboration with the Hundertwasser Foundation to present the Viennese master’s oeuvre in all its different facets. Because his work is, by nature, virtually inseparable from his biography, private life, and political actions, a vivid portrait of Hundertwasser takes shape through his own lens. Excerpts from conversations between the author and the artist add immediacy and authenticity to this intimate monograph.

The author:

Harry Rand studied at the City College of New York and at Harvard University, where he completed his doctorate on the iconography of Arshile Gorky in 1974. He has published numerous books and essays on 20th-century painting and sculpture and is now Curator in the Division of Political History at the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian Institution) in Washington, D.C.

Revolt Against the Straight Line. The highly irregular architecture of a freethinking artist

Biomorphic forms, unbridled colour, and gentle chaos characterize the architecture of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. This monograph compiles his architectural works, presenting all his building projects, whether realized or not. Preparatory sketches, models, and photographs illuminate a pioneering and environmentally sensitive vision, intent on a harmonious coexistence with nature.

“A house must be a living, organic entity that develops and constantly changes,” stated Friedensreich Hundertwasser in one of his arguments for his nature- and human-oriented architecture. Success vindicated his vision: roof afforestation, organic forms, colourful façades, uneven floors, irregularly positioned windows, gilded onion domes — Hundertwasser’s architecture is unmistakable.

From the beginning of his artistic career in the ’50s, Hundertwasser was preoccupied with architecture in his painting. Then began his engagement with manifestos, essays, and demonstrations; later followed architectural models in which he illustrated, for example, his ideas on roof afforestation and an individual’s right to his very own window. As an “architectural doctor” he created unregimented irregularities and realized exemplary architectural projects.

This comprehensive directory of Hundertwasser’s architectural works presents all his buildings and projects, whether realized or not, tracing them from the first sketches through to models and completion. Dr. Andrea Christa Fürst, a longtime employee of the Hundertwasser Archive, made a major contribution to this publication.

The editor:

Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987 to 2010, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle.

The painter-king with the five skins

Friedensreich Hundertwasser constantly rebelled against the omnipresent might of rational and pragmatic thought patterns and became a symbolic figure for a non-conformist way of life and an ambassador for a self-determined alternative existence. Hundertwasser’s world of images awakens the longing for universal harmony, for an existence in accord with nature.
With emphasis on Hundertwasser’s ecological, civilization- and architecture-critical approaches, Pierre Restany examines the phases of his multifaceted work. Restany creates a comprehensive portrayal of an artist of visionary power, of his artistic development, from the architectural boycott and the naked addresses at the end of the sixties, through the worldwide architecture projects, to his alternative blueprints for society.

About the Series:

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art Series features:
- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 colour illustrations with explanatory captions

The author:
Pierre Restany (1930-2003) was brought up in Morocco. He later studied in France, Italy and Ireland. In 1963 he worked on the art and architecture journal "Domus", and since 1985 he has edited the magazine "D'ARS". His meeting with Yves Klein in 1955 inspired his 1960 theory of "Nouveau Réalisme" and he founded an art-group of the same name in Paris. He wrote and published extensively on the art of the twentieth century.

Венский дом искусств — музей, каким таковой должен быть, — это культурный символ Вены. Это форум значительных международных выставок и «порт прописки» произведений Хундертвассера, музей, в котором каждый чувствует себя, как дома.

The dream of a world of peace

"A world full of color," says Friedensreich Hundertwasser, "is synonymous with paradise." With his demonstrations and actions, his manifestos for nature, for more human-oriented architecture and for the improvement of the quality of life and living conditions, Friedensreich Hundertwasser is one of the most fascinating artists of the 20th century. He became a symbolic figure, not only as a painter but also as an architect, ecologist and philosopher, in particular for all those who are searching for a life tuned to the natural and the human.

This anniversary edition consists of the first volume of TASCHEN’s limited edition Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1928–2000, and offers a complete presentation of Hundertwasser's work, personality and life, with detailed texts by Hundertwasser's longtime friend Wieland Schmied.

The author:
Wieland Schmied has been President of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich since 1995. He has organised over one hundred art exhibitions and is the author of many books on 19th- and 20th century art, including monographs on Caspar David Friedrich, Alfred Kubin, Giorgio de Chirico, Edward Hopper and Francis Bacon.

Although books on Hundertwasser's work abound, few are as satisfying as this luxuriously designed, one of a kind volume that was originally created as an exhibition catalog. Bound in black linen, foil-embossed, and printed in six colors with impeccable attention to detail, this gem of a book contains ninety-eight color illustrations featuring a selection of Hundertwasser's graphic works along with critical texts and commentary by the artist. A short introduction, an essay on the artist's graphic work and an up-to-date biography make this an indispensable book for fans of Hundertwasser and lovers of beauty.

Австрийский художник Фриденсрайх Хундертвассер (настояшие имя и фамилия Фридрих Стовассер) родился в 1928 году. Он стал самым известным мастером изобразительного искусства в Австрии конца ХХ века, соединив стилистику модерна, растительный орнамент с принципами абстрактного искусства. В последние годы он увлекался также «экологической архитектурой», придавая «биоморфным», органическим природным формам своей живописи и графики монументальность реальных построек.

Хундертвассер добился всемирного признания своего творчества, и именно благодаря ему, австрийское искусство вновь стало уважаемо во всем мире.

Теперь он – знаменитость международного масштаба, а Вена вернула себе блеск, свойственный ей в прошлом. Половина Вены безоговорочно гордится им, вторая половина негодует, считая, что, если дать автору волю, он порушит старую имперскую архитектуру, изведет на корню знаменитый стиль бидермайер и застроит элегантную Вену своими разноцветными пряничными зданиями, смахивающими на жилища гномов из сказок братьев Гримм.

Эта книга – интервью: автор задает художнику вопросы, а художник подробно отвечает на них. Читатели познакомятся с репродукциями оригинальных картин Хундертвассера, с его графическими произведениями, а также с фотографиями зданий, выполненных по его проектам.

Friedrich Stowasser (1928, Vienna – 2000, New Zealand), better known by the name of Friedrich Hundertwasser, was a painter, thinker, and architect, or rather a “doctor of architecture", as he declared in his manifesto of the 24th of January 1990.

His architectural creations, organic and full of imagination, may have been influenced by the works of Antoni Gaudí. Yet, Hundertwasser was more radical in his philosophy. As expressed in his remarkable eco-artistic manifestos, and other achievements (paintings, posters, stamps, houses, and architectural designs), his message remains profoundly and viscerally ecological.

His pictorial work is characterised by an organic abundance of forms and by the brilliance of its colours.
Hundertwasser is an artist who is difficult to classify. With his tremendous love of nature, he is one of the pioneers of humanist and environmentalist architecture, which attempted to reconcile creativity and ecology. This vision has been shared by many young artists all over the world and by the founders of eco-villages.

The Author:

Pierre Restany remains the most influential French art critic of the second half of the 20th century. A witness to the dynamic New York art scene, he founded, along with Yves Klein, the “New Realism" an artistic movement created in reaction to Pop Art, which expressed the distress of the post-war period.
Always alert and on the look-out for a new artistic creation, this eminent art critic became interested in Hundertwasser’s fascinating work and ecological theory. They met on several occasions: in Paris in 1957, and also in Vienna, where they spent three days together. This text is an account of the encounters between two exalted giants of the artistic scene, as well as the homage of a critic to the great Austrian artist.

Friedrich Stowasser (1928, Vienna – 2000, New Zealand), better known by the name of Friedrich Hundertwasser, was a painter, thinker, and architect, or rather a "doctor of architecture", as he declared in his manifesto of the 24th of January 1990.

His architectural creations, organic and full of imagination, may have been influenced by the works of Antoni Gaudí. Yet, Hundertwasser was more radical in his philosophy. As expressed in his remarkable eco-artistic manifestos, and other achievements (paintings, posters, stamps, houses, and architectural designs), his message remains profoundly and viscerally ecological.

His pictorial work is characterised by an organic abundance of forms and by the brilliance of its colours.
Hundertwasser is an artist who is difficult to classify. With his tremendous love of nature, he is one of the pioneers of humanist and environmentalist architecture, which attempted to reconcile creativity and ecology. This vision has been shared by many young artists all over the world and by the founders of eco-villages.

Our epoch has found in the painter-king the most formidable accuser of totalitarian thinking, from nuclear energy to the organization of our living environment. He lives up totally to his way of seeing things, against the contradictions of our post-industrial society.

His trump card is his art, the creator of beauty: of natural harmony, peace and joy. The extra-lucid power of his analytical sensitivity makes him the perfect decoder of global culture and its guided information. Hundertwasser reveals the prodigious quality resources of naturist empiricism against the abusive uniformity of rationalist totalitarianism, against the tyranny of ugliness and the iron rule of its straight line.

It is all inscribed in his painting, which is the revelation of sensitivity, the open book of destiny; it translates intuition into images, and those images inspire the major orientations of his thinking and action. When concretized moreover, those orientations fit perfectly into the practical norms of his aesthetic. Based on the empirical, artisan and organic intelligence of man-nature relations, his project for society is a cry of hope in beauty, a sine qua non-condition for human development.

Images included:
The Small Way, Kaurinui, 1991
European Twirling his Moustache, Bürgeralm hut, Aflenz, 1951
Yellow Ships - Sea of Tunis and Taormina, Tunis - Taormina, 1951
Yellow Houses - It Hurts to Wait with Love if Love is Somewhere Else, Venice, 1966
Hommage au Tachisme, La Picaudière, 1961
Winter Painting - Mister Snow, Venice, 1966
The Third Skin, Venice, 1982
Mourning Schiele, Lugano, 1965
Water Fire, Venice, 1991
Rain of Blood Dropping into Japanese Waters Located in an Austrian Garden, Tokyo, 1961
The 30 Days Fax Painting, Vienna, 1994
The Beard is the Grass of the Bald-Headed Man, La Picaudière, 1961
Original poster Hundertwasser House, Vienna

Viennese-native Friedrich Stowasser (1928-2000) called himself  Hundertwasser Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt. True to the colorful variety of his names, he pursued many activities as a painter, architect and ecologist, and as "one who awakens identities." This presentation of Hundertwasser's work in all of its different facets is guided by the artist's own view of himself and his purpose. And, because his work is virtually inseparable from his personal life and political activity, a vivid portrait of the artist takes shape before the reader's eyes. Excerpts from conversations between the author and the artist lend a sense of immediacy and authenticity to the narration.

Австрийский художник Фриденсрайх Хундертвассер (настояшие имя и фамилия Фридрих Стовассер) родился в 1928 году. Он стал самым известным мастером изобразительного искусства в Австрии конца ХХ века, соединив стилистику модерна, растительный орнамент с принципами абстрактного искусства. В последние годы он увлекался также «экологической архитектурой», придавая «биоморфным», органическим природным формам своей живописи и графики монументальность реальных построек. Хундертвассер добился всемирного признания своего творчества, и именно благодаря ему, австрийское искусство вновь стало уважаемо во всем мире. Теперь он – знаменитость международного масштаба, а Вена вернула себе блеск, свойственный ей в прошлом. Половина Вены безоговорочно гордится им, вторая половина негодует, считая, что, если дать автору волю, он порушит старую имперскую архитектуру, изведет на корню знаменитый стиль бидермайер и застроит элегантную Вену своими разноцветными пряничными зданиями, смахивающими на жилища гномов из сказок братьев Гримм. Эта книга – интервью: автор задает художнику вопросы, а художник подробно отвечает на них. Читатели познакомятся с репродукциями оригинальных картин Хундертвассера, с его графическими произведениями, а также с фотографиями зданий, выполненных по его проектам.