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Lot Essay
A striking vision of the human form, Thomas Schütte’s Geister stems from the artist’s acclaimed series of figural sculptures. Strange and alluring in its startling physiognomy, Schütte’s figure is articulated through the expressive folds, furls and contortions of melted plastic. Executed in 1995, the work is situated within the artist’s extensive enquiry into the human condition, explored through the medium of sculpture. Having received wide critical acclaim for his haunting installation Die Fremden (The Strangers) at Documenta IX in 1992, and his subsequent series of United Enemies, the Geister sculptures invite us to confront our own self-image, presenting us with forms that are at once alien and deeply familiar. Speaking of the anthropomorphic nature of these works, Schütte has explained, ‘The fantastical figures produced in this way have a highly artificial appearance, while at the same time revealing a careful observation of human physical expressions and gestures. Their faces, in turn, are sketchy and blank. Almost all of their concrete physicality exists solely within their fleeting gestures ... One is reminded of those special effects, produced by the most advanced film techniques, in which a body materializes out of nothing, and can be transformed into another at any time...The condition to which they refer is extremely ambiguous, and cannot actually be named in its full absurdity’ (J. Heynen (ed.), Thomas Schütte, London 1998, p. 102). Works such as the present would ultimately become the inspiration for his seminal large-scale series of Große Geister (1995-2004), examples of which are held in collections including the Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art Chicago and the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg.
Schütte’s interest in the human condition may be said to take root in his early preoccupations with architectural forms. In many ways, the figural sculptures may be understood as conceptual extensions of the architectural models he began producing in the 1980s: both are conceived as formal, spatial and material challenges. ‘The form mostly comes from dealing with technical problems, and the material’, the artist has claimed (T. Schütte, quoted in interview with J. Lingwood in J. Heynen (ed.), Thomas Schütte, London 1998, p. 22). The present work expresses the physicality of the human form with a sense of vitality, evoking the constant motion of the body as it interacts with its surroundings. Its unique form is a direct product of its creation, which Schütte describes almost as a life giving process, born of his interaction with the material in the moment. ‘I would rather talk with my hands and through forms and let these creatures live their own lives and tell their own stories. Avoiding certain fixed positions is important to me, avoiding being too classical or too predictable I always hope that in the end the work will be physically present. That the works lead to essential questions is important’ (T. Schütte, quoted in interview with J. Lingwood in J. Heynen (ed.), Thomas Schütte, London 1998, p. 22).
Schütte’s interest in the human condition may be said to take root in his early preoccupations with architectural forms. In many ways, the figural sculptures may be understood as conceptual extensions of the architectural models he began producing in the 1980s: both are conceived as formal, spatial and material challenges. ‘The form mostly comes from dealing with technical problems, and the material’, the artist has claimed (T. Schütte, quoted in interview with J. Lingwood in J. Heynen (ed.), Thomas Schütte, London 1998, p. 22). The present work expresses the physicality of the human form with a sense of vitality, evoking the constant motion of the body as it interacts with its surroundings. Its unique form is a direct product of its creation, which Schütte describes almost as a life giving process, born of his interaction with the material in the moment. ‘I would rather talk with my hands and through forms and let these creatures live their own lives and tell their own stories. Avoiding certain fixed positions is important to me, avoiding being too classical or too predictable I always hope that in the end the work will be physically present. That the works lead to essential questions is important’ (T. Schütte, quoted in interview with J. Lingwood in J. Heynen (ed.), Thomas Schütte, London 1998, p. 22).