Piene, Otto | Sky Hook, 2014 — available on Composition Gallery

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Fire gouache on cardboard Signed, dated "'14" and titled.

Otto Piene's "Sky Hook" from 2014 presents a commanding fire gouache on cardboard, featuring a dense black circular form at center that radiates outward against an intense red field. The work demonstrates Piene's lifelong engagement with light, fire, and elemental forces as artistic media, continuing the investigations he began as co-founder of the ZERO movement in 1957. The smoke and soot patterns emanating from the central mass evoke celestial phenomena, reflecting Piene's enduring fascination with the relationship between terrestrial and cosmic energies that informed his legendary Sky Art projects.

Otto Piene (Germany, 1928–2014) was a pioneering artist and co-founder of the ZERO movement, known for his innovative light and fire art. His works explored immateriality and energy, incorporating mediums like smoke, fire, and projections. Iconic pieces such as Light Ballet reflect his fascination with light as a transformative force in art.

Otto Piene

Sky Hook, 2014

Name: Sky Hook, 2014
SKU: 17324

Form

Painting

PaintingPainting is the process of applying media to a surface, using a tool such as a brush. The term refers to both the action and the resulting object. Artists use many tools to paint, such as brushes, airbrushes, palette knives, sponges or fingers and hands.

Medium

Gouache

GouacheGouache is an opaque watercolor paint that allows artists to layer from light to dark. Unlike traditional transparent watercolors, gouache is used for creating solid, vibrant colors. It belongs to the water-media category and is made of pigment, a binding agent, and an inert material, specifically designed for opaque painting.

Edition

Unique work

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●Inventory 17324

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Limited Edition Print

Screen-print

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Mixed Media

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Light is my medium. Previously, paintings and sculptures seemed to glow. Now they do.
- Otto Piene

Otto Piene is a German artist who studied art at both the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and the Academy of Art in Munich. He also studied philosophy at the University of Cologne and worked as a fashion lecturer for several years at the Fashion Institute in Düsseldorf. Otto Piene founded with Heinz Mack the group Zero, where later Gunther Uecker joined. He created his own unusual techniques to achieve stunning visual results. One of Otto Piene’s favorite techniques was to use stencil paintings on grids. In one series of paintings, he used the light from torches projected through the grids. In another, Otto Piene used different sources of fire, such as gas burners or candles, to add smoke to his work. Otto Piene did not limit his work to using only these techniques. Some of his pieces involved printing and he even experimented with both industrial design and kinetic sculpture performance. He designed a statue in the form of a mining lamp in 1999. The statue, called Das Geleucht, was on display in Germany until 2007.

Artwork by Gunther Uecker

What is the Zero Movement?

ZERO was an art movement founded by Otto Piene and Heinz Mack, aiming to develop into a large international and cross-border movement. The name ZERO originated from a magazine founded by Heinz Mack in 1957, which became a platform for the group's ideas. The magazine was published for several years before ceasing in 1967. The ZERO movement sought to create a new beginning in art, emphasizing light, space, and movement, and became influential in post-war European art.

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Otto Piene

Sky Hook, 2014

70 x 70 cm

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Otto Piene