Kurt Laurenz Metzler
Kurt Laurenz Metzler ( born January 26, 1941 in Balgach, St. Gallen ), Signature " KLM ", is a Swiss sculptor. His art is in the sphere of public places of importance, his sculptures are usually located in public space.
Life
Metzler was already in the school creatively active, with wood and cardboard, and wanted a future as an artist. He lost at the age of twelve, his father, and therefore grew temporarily with his uncle, the painter Florian Metzler on.
Since Metzler's mother considered the profession of a sculptor for too uncertain, he tried initially as an architectural draftsman, decorator and photographer. In 1958, he nevertheless wrote up for the " School of Design" in Zurich. In 1963 he obtained the stone sculptor diploma. In 1964 he pursued studies in Berlin and made his first trip to the U.S., where he lived one year in New York and in the 1970s had several exhibitions. From this period and the movement of Pop Art inspiration for the colored version of his large sculptures comes from. In New York Metzler was in contact with Jim Dine, Larry Rivers and Hans van de Bovenkamp.
After his return he made in Zurich for a car body repair apprenticeship to learn the blacksmithing. He worked at that time for other sculptors such as Odon Koch, Arnold D' Altri, Paul Bacon, or Silvio Mattioli.
In Tremona (Canton Ticino) originated from 1966, the first major figures. At the same time Metzler received the first public contracts and turned several times. Dating back to 1973, as the iron sculpture The conversation, which is located at Umbergtunnel on Lake Zurich. The Zuri family in the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich in 1978 set up.
This was followed by a new study tour of the USA and 1976 to participate in the " International Sculpture Congress" in New Orleans. Opened in 1980, Metzler a studio in Tillson, in the U.S. state of New York, where works for exhibitions in New York and Long Iceland emerged.
In 1989 he moved to Italy, where he began to work in Jesa at Siena with Claudia, his second wife and his two sons. He now lives in Tuscany and in Zurich. The garden around his estate has filled up with about 50 figures and heard as well as the Giardino by Daniel Spoerri and the Tarot Garden of Niki de Saint Phalle to the artist gardens in Tuscany, which became known as arte ambientale.
From this period numerous monumental works in public space. The plants are located in Australia, Germany and the USA.
In 1996, Metzler from the Baths of Caracalla, 1997 in Siena, 2003 in Milano. In 2006 was seen at Lake Lucerne, a selection of his works at the Park Hotel on the Bürgenstock. In the same year he participated in the 3rd Swiss Sculpture Triennale, whose technical director, he was also, in part in Bad Ragaz and Vaduz. In 2007, as part of the Ansbacher Sculpture Mile to see in public space in Ansbach numerous sculptural works Metzler.
From July to October, he has been through to coarse ella Estate Dell'Arte di Milano, with a traveling exhibition Nevrotici Metropolitani on the station square of Milano. The exhibition was sponsored by Vittorio Sgarbi art critics and praised by Milan mayor Letizia Moratti.
A book with numerous texts by Vittorio Sgarbi, Alberto Bartalini & Franz Jaeger, with photo - documentation of Mario Mulas, brother of the late Ugo Mulas art photographer, about the " Nevrotici Metropolitani " traveling exhibition appeared in 2008-2009.
2009, Metzler has its traveling exhibition " Nevrotici Metropolitani " in the " Piazza Basilica Inferiore " issued in Assisi.
In July 2009, in collaboration with Galerie Belvedere Singapore, he designed the sculpture group " Urban People " an exciting and iconic public art installation at the heart of Orchard Road, directly in front of ION Orchard Building, Singapore.
End of the summer he took part in the Concert For Viareggio as the only sculptor, with 5 of his works next to the stage, in part. The idea came from Zucchero, Sting and Andrea Bocelli, the headliner of the evening, with many other artists and personalities from the fields of sports and entertainment.
On the occasion of the Andrea Bocelli concert at the Teatro del Silenzio, which took place on July 25, 2010, he created the stunning 14-meter monumental sculpture of a modernist star, and the metallic - human figures in bright Crayola colors that the stone walls of the open- theater, as well as the rooftops and piazzas in Lajatico populated.
Style
His idiosyncratic figures are created from materials that are indeed difficult, but in the finished work easily act (marble, bronze, iron, aluminum, but also colored polyester). Sometimes they are blank, but often painted a solid color.
The older designs are acrobats, engine people he incorporated chains or engine parts. Current are the motives of the newspaper reader, the city € sufferer or the giant man. Characteristic of this recent work are the oversized shoes, which seem to anchor the long-limbed creatures in the soil, and the head distinct forms. After this peculiarity named Metzler works from this period as a rolling heads or head man.
Works (selection)
- Conversation, Ulmbergtunnel, Zurich, 1973
- Pole-vaulters, Uster, 1974
- Zuri- family, Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich, 1978-79
- Conversation in motion, Überlandstrasse, Zurich
- Group of figures made of aluminum, Spreitenbach, 1993-94.