Artists

Herman De Vries

Press release

Dutch artist herman de vries has held to his credo that nature is art for over fifty years. A trained botanist and landscape gardener, he turned to art at an early age and gained recognition for his Art Informel paintings and as a member of the artist group nul. Ecological issues became a key theme in his art from the 1970s onward—to this day he is one of the most important exponents of Environmental Art. In his artistic research, de vries combines scientific methods such as observation, classification, and archiving with stories from mythology and philosophical questions. He collects all manner of objects on his daily explorations of nature in the Steigerwald forest in Germany and on his travels: flowers, stones, sticks, earth, bones, grasses, minerals, and more. These objets trouvés are arranged in sensory installations that reveal a simplicity with an intrinsic aesthetic power. His work is always guided by a deep understanding and respect for the earth's natural resources. His Conceptual work 108 pounds of lavender flowers of 1991 comprises fragrant purple flowers arranged elliptically on the floor. This creates a sensory visitor experience beneath the Baroque ceiling fresco of the Carlone Hall. Curated by Stella Rollig. Assistant Curator: Johanna Hofer