Work
- 1994
- modelling clay, fabric, wood, rope, pvc-pipe and glass dome, 3 separate works
- each 188 high, 25 cm diameter
- 1994.TS.01-03
- 1996
- 15 black and white photographs on colored paper
- each 68 x 45 cm, ed. 3
- 1997.TS.08
- 2001
- 138 copper plate prints
- 44 x 32 cm each, ed.11/12
- 2002.TS.13
- 1992
- screen print on paper
- 53,3 x 76,2 cm
- 2022.TS.17
- private donation
- 1996
- watercolor and ink on paper
- each c. 39 x 28 cm
- 1998.TS.09
- 2010-11
- line etchings with open bite and carborundum on tinted paper
- 77,5 x 51,6 cm suite of ten
- 2014.TS.14 1-10
- 2005
- colour sets on paper
- 41,5 x 29 cm
- 2022.TS.18
- private donation
- 1996
- watercolor and ink on paper
- 7 parts, each 52,5 x 42,1 cm
- 1996.TS.05
- 2018
- etching on paper
- 91 x 70,5 cm (4 parts)
- 2019.TS.15 1-4
- 1986
- lacquer on paper
- 141 x 110 cm
- 2023.TS.19
- 1997 - nr 14 1998
- polished aluminium
- 246 x 187 x 112 cm 238 x 200 x 131 cm 250 x 100 x 110 cm
- 1997.TS.06-07/1999.TS.10
- 2001
- dry point
- 44,8 x 32,2 cm (paper), ed. 35 (edition: Jahresgabe 2001, Kunstverein, Düsseldorf)
- 2002.TS.12
- 2019
- etching on paper
- 91,5 x 68,5 cm (8 parts)
- 2020.TS.16 1-8
- 1981-1989
- wood
- 42,5 x 54,5 x 20 cm
- 2024.TS.20
While Thomas Schütte studied painting at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in the 1970s, he has become known for a versatile body of work in which sculpture, architectural models, ceramics, photography, drawings and watercolours coexist side by side. He works with bronze, steel and glass, but also with more delicate materials such as ceramics or wax. Groups and series of certain themes are a common thread running through his oeuvre.
In the 1980s, Schütte sought alternatives for the minimalist and conceptual art of the previous decade. He wanted to make sculptures that evoked narratives and explored whether contemporary art could still have a clear and relevant meaning for anyone who sees it. He felt the tradition of hanging paintings on a wall was too limiting. Schütte's goal was to find new channels for art to exist, both in and outside museums. To that end, he introduced what he referred to as ‘proposals’: maquettes and architectural models that emphasise the potential of the image, like those displayed in the Westkunstmodelle 1:1 exhibition (2024, De Pont).
Together with a small number of other artists, Schütte breathed new life into figurative sculpture. His early work consisted of flat wooden figures and dolls, which quickly evolved into stand-alone sculptures. In these pieces, he explored the expressive power of body language and physiognomy, drawing inspiration from the traditions of caricature and the grotesque. The result was an unusual, ‘deformed’ figurative art that not only reflected the psychological state of the subject but also captured the ‘grammar of the character’.
His figures vary from monumental pieces such as the aluminium sculptures Große Geister (1998), to intimate and vulnerable works in watercolour or clay, like United Enemies (1994). The bodies and faces evoke a tension between humour and melancholy, playfulness and grave sincerity. While Schütte’s works can touch our hearts and make us smile, they simultaneously prompt us to reflect on themes such as power, identity, vulnerability and our human shortcomings.
For more information on the artist see his website Thomas Schütte.
Exhibitions
