Tony Cragg Skulptur
21 Mar—25 Apr 2015
Buchmann Box

Tony Cragg Skulptur

21 Mar—25 Apr 2015
Buchmann Box
Press release

The Buchmann Galerie is pleased to announce an exhibition of new sculptures by Tony Cragg.

 

Tony Cragg (b. 1949 in Liverpool) is one of the most important sculptors of our time. His work testifies to a method in which questions of figuration and their sculptural solutions are repeatedly taken up and refined. Tony Cragg’s sculptures can be described as visual appropriations of forms and structures from the complex world in which we live. He derives both the conception of the content and the diverse vocabulary of forms from an attempt to come to terms with organic life forms and microbiological structures as well as from his work with profane consumer materials and modern technology. In the process, Tony Cragg examines the principles of different realms of life such as nature, technology, civilization, and art in terms of their fundamental elements and structures. 

 

The continuity and validity of his work is due to fundamental questions about the relationship of body, material, object and space that Tony Cragg has been addressing continuously for years now. The diversity of materials, sculptural techniques, and solutions exhibited is exemplary of the artist’s encyclopedically evolving oeuvre; his extraordinary importance as a sculptor was already impressively demonstrated when he was awarded the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in 2007.   

 

Tony Cragg studied at the Gloucestershire College of Art and Design in Cheltenham, the Wimbledon School of Art from 1968 to 1973 and until 1977 at the Royal College of Art. Tony Cragg moved to Wuppertal in 1977. From 1978 he started teaching at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and was director of the Kunstakademie from 2009 to 2013. 

 

In 1988 Tony Cragg represented Great Britain at the 43rd Venice Biennale and won the Turner Prize in the same year. He was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002. In 2007 he was awarded the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture and in 2009 received a Honorary Doctor of the Royal College of Art, London. In 2013 he was awarded the Chaire de Création Artistique of the Collège de France. 

 

Recent solo exhibitions by Tony Cragg include the Musée du Louvre Paris, the Scottish National Gallery Edinburgh, the Nasher Sculpture Center Dallas, the CAFA Museum Beijing, the Heydar Aliyev Center Baku or the Musée d’Art Moderne St. Étienne. 

 

Tony Cragg lives and works in Wuppertal, where he founded the sculpture park Waldfrieden to show works by international renowned sculptors. Buchmann Galerie is one of his main representative galleries in Germany and Switzerland and represents the artist since 1983. 

 

For additional information on the artist or for visual materials on the works in the exhibition, please do not hesitate to contact the gallery at any time.

 

Tony Cragg

Born 1949 in Liverpool. Lives and works in Wuppertal, Germany.

Education
2009 - 2013 Director of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2002 Professorship for sculpture at UdK Universität der Künste, Berlin 
Member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin
1994 Member of the Royal Academy, London
1979 Professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
1973 - 1977 Royal College of Art
1968 - 1972 Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, Cheltenham und Wimbledon School of Art
1966 – 1968 Lab Technician at the National Rubber Producers Research Association
Grants and Awards
2017

Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, International Sculpture Center

2016

Knight Bachelor of the British Empire

2013

Chaire de Création Artistique, Collège de France

Rheinischer Kulturpreis, Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland

2012 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1st Class
Artist's Medal of Honor of the Hermitage, Russia
2009 Honorary doctor of the Royal College of Arts
2007 Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture, The Japan Art Foundation
2005 1st Prize for Best Sculpture, 2. Biennale Beijing
2002 Commander of the Order of the British Empire
2001 Honorary Fellowship John Moores University, Liverpool
Shakespeare-Prize
1992 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
1989 Von-der-Heydt-Prize, Wuppertal  
1988 Turner Prize
British
 Representative at the 43rd Venice Biennale

Solo Exhibitions

2025
2024
2023
2021
2019
2018
2017
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979

Group Exhibitions

2024
2023
2018
2017
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975