Sunday, August 12, 2012

Christel Lechner´s Ordinary People Installations Celebrate Everyday Moments - Alltagsmenschen



Detail from "Tischinszenierung - The big Feast"


Art in Public Space

For many years the German artist Christel Lechner has been working on a series of engaging sculptures entitled “Alltagsmenschen - Ordinary People”. The life-size concrete constructions depict normal people partaking in simple activities, from bathing and dancing, sipping a glass of wine and looking at the stars, to having a meal at a restaurant, or hanging out the laundry, to just sitting around at a bus stop or in the park. The statues have been installed as public art  in real world settings at various nondescript outdoor locations. Please see also my post of May 6th, 2012

Christel Lechner is a well-known artist who is based in Witten; she is quite skilled at capturing the unique essence of regular folks  that you might pass on the street. Some critics dismiss the art as irrelevant “kitsch”, but I find the work reflects our human experience, while still being insightful, funny and powerful.

The sculptures blend into their surroundings, they seem to have become an integral part of the Town´s life, such as the "The Big Feast" which was placed in front of a kitchen and interior design store, the "Hog" which was put up in front of a butcher´s shop or "The Sun Worshippers" who are bathing in the sunlight in front of a local Hotel called "Hotel Sonne".



Tischinszenierung - The big Feast


To some visitors Lechner’s statues “brilliantly convey the culture, nuanced aesthetics and idiosyncratic behavior” that one often encounters in Germany. Some of the sculptures even seem to bear a striking resemblance to some people we know.

Following are photos from a recent art installation Lechner created in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheda-Wiedenbrueck), a town located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, founded about 1088. While visiting, you can admire the town´s beautifully renovated half-timber houses or pay a vistit to Rheda Castle.



Fotogruppe - Taking a Picture



Sonnenanbeter – Sun Worshippers




Tischinszenierung – The big Feast



Hamburger Paar – A Couple from Hamburg



Himmelsgucker – Looking at the Stars



Nonnen – Nuns



Waschtag – Laundry Day



Endstation Sehnsucht – A Streetcar Named Desire



Peter mit Heidi & Clara – Peter with Heidi and Clara



Ariadne




Frau mit Hund – Woman with Dog




Bauarbeiter – Construction Workers




Schwein Eberhard und "Wiedenbrücker Original"– Hog Eberhard and "Wiedenbrücker Original"




Grosses Tanzpaar – Large Dancing Couple




Schützenverein – Hunter´s Association










10 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the exhibit...how fun.

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    1. Karen, it is indeed fun and it was my one and only birthday wish to go and visit. And I sure am glad that we did go!

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  2. that is wonderful i love to visit... is very lovely.

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    1. Thank you so much - this exhibit is certainly wonderful and just amazing!

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  3. Andrea, This is so much better than scallops (Years ago I got food poisoning from scallops and just cannot get near them. My Bad.) Reading about this artist and then seeing all the work was fabulous. In America we had an artist, Duane Hanson, http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk, who died in 1996, but he made sculptures of the "common" people and everyone flocked to the museums to see them. And when I was in Bratislava last Fall, they had the best scultures throughout the city. One was a workman coming out of a manhole. Another, Napoleon sitting on a bench. Another, a photographer peeking around the corner. Very clever. I love this kind of art and can relate to it. Thanks.

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    1. Mary, to exhibit art in public places is just the best! Apart from the fact that I am just crazy about Christel Lechner´s sculptures, it is a nice change from the routine to visit "a public place" rather than a museum with the kids!

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  4. Hi Andrea! Wow! Thanks for sharing the exhibition - the facial expression of each person is very detailed and interesting!

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    1. Thank you, Nami - we had a wonderful time visiting the exhibits with the kids. The surroundings are also quite beautiful and worth a visit.

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  5. Andrea, Such an exquisite exhibition!! Love your photos of your beautiful country…I feel like I’m along for the fun!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy - this is a fun exhibit and a beutiful place to visit.

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