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The relationship between man, culture and nature is increasingly becoming a subject of (artistic) research within the visual arts - a theme on which de Vries (Alkmaar, NL, 1931) has been working for decades. For more than 60 years now he has been developing a highly versatile oeuvre in which art, science and philosophy are confronted with the world's, and especially nature's reality. The theme of his work is topical in an age in which ecological issues can count on an ever broadening attention from the general public. De Vries' recent work dominates his presentation in Venice, as it does in the book to be all ways to be. The book's guideline is a dialogue between de Vries and Jean-Hubert Martin about the works on show in Venice. Martin confronts de Vries with key concepts such as synesthesis, mimesis, craftmanship, sound and music, smell, nature and ecology, et cetera, and interweaves the works and thoughts of de Vries, with images, texts and other sources throughout his text. Exhibition: Biennale di Venezia, Italy (09.05-22.11.2015).
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This is a long overdue monograph on one of the greatest living artists working with nature. The distinguished writer on art, Mel Gooding, author of a number of highly regarded books on contemporary artists, contributes a critical overview of de vriess work and both sets it in an art historical context and appraises it as an important reflection of the cultural consciousness of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
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Herman De Vries was trained as a horticulturist and worked as a natural scientist. He started to draw and paint in the mid-1950s. His early works were composed of white paintings and sculptures, which he defined as "informal" because they bore no figuration or color. With these works, he investigated the idea of "randomness" as a principle of order with the aim of achieving absolute objectivity. During this time, he was actively involved in the exhibitions and publications of the international ZERO movement. From 1964 onward, his concern for the relationship between humanity and nature took a leading role in his work, and he developed a unique oeuvre in which he juxtaposed art, science, and philosophy with the reality of the world. In 1975, he decided that the phenomena and processes of nature constitute the physical and autonomous work of art that he, as an artist, should represent.
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