Pierre Berge

Pierre Bergé & associés is hitting the headlines once again in Brussels with the opening of a new space:

“La Galerie de Pierre Bergé & associés” uniquely dedicated to Contemporary Design and American vintage; it opened its doors on 17th April with an exhibition of original pieces by the talented Belgian designer, Arne Quinze

Established in the heart of the Sablon area in Brussels since June 2006, Pierre Bergé & associés is embarking upon a new project by dedicating its space to the creation of a new gallery devoted to Design. After having developed major sales in this domain and created a reputation as the leading auction room in Belgium, Pierre Bergé & associés is focusing its new gallery on the world of contemporary design and American vintage.

With a surface area measuring 200 m2, white walls and a mottled grey floor, the gallery will welcome several of the most popular designers once a year. They will create original pieces especially for the exhibition dedicated to their work. These unique and numbered pieces will be presented and sold exclusively at the gallery.

La Galerie de Pierre Bergé & associés will also specialise in American vintage from 1910 to 1970. The exhibitions will explore the work of an artist or shed light on a specific theme. They will all be accompanied by a monographic catalogue, at the price shown on the label, which will be sent to collectors before the inauguration of the event. A website will also be created with the possibility of making online purchases.

Parallel to its design gallery and auctions, Pierre Bergé & associés will initiate a design prize this year: the Skieven prize will be awarded to young designers. These first-year students from design schools will present pieces that have never been shown. This prize will be awarded for the first time in the second half of 2008.

La galerie de Pierre Bergé & associés

http://pba.masteredit.com/pba/site/Gallery-66.html


Scandinavian beauties sold at Pierre Berge's Brussels auction of Twentieth Century Scandinavian Classics:

Victor Vasarely

Victor Vasarely was born on April 9, 1906, in Pécs, Hungary. In 1927, after studying medicine at Budapest University for two years, he left school to devote himself to art. In 1929 he enrolled at Mühely, a school founded by Alexandre Bortnyik and based on the principles of the Dessau Bauhaus. It was during this time that he first came into contact with Constructivism and Abstract Art. In 1930 he left Hungary and moved to Paris, where he started work as a graphic designer. During his first graphic period (1929-1946), Vasarely laid the foundations for his future artistic practice, experimenting with themes that he would later develop.

Between 1935 and 1947 the artist rediscovered painting. Influenced by Cubism and Surrealism, he focused on portraiture, landscape, and still life. His works dating from the “Belle-Isle” period (1947–1958), so named because they were inspired by a visit to Belle-Isle, marked his passage into abstraction through the use of natural materials. The “Denfert” period (1951-1958) gave rise to strange designs inspired by the walls of the Denfert-Rochereau Métro station in Paris. Works from the “Cristal-Gordes” period (1948–1958) were characterized by a juxtaposition of contrasting, brightly colored shapes, while in his work from the “Black and White” period (1950-1965), Vasarely revisited his former graphic tendencies. In 1955 he exhibited with several other representatives of the Kinetic Art movement at the Denise René Gallery in Paris and the same year published his Manifeste Jaune. In 1965 he took part in Responsive Eye, an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, dedicated to Optical Art.

He continued to explore movement and perception, and in his so-called “Vonal” period (1964–1970) he went back to drawing, combining the linear and graphic themes of his “Black and White” period with a new exploration of color. His “Vega” period began in 1968, at which time he deformed the compositional elements in order to create the optical illusion of a bloated painting surface. In 1976 he founded the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence, affirming his belief that art should be linked to its social context and environment. The artist died in Paris on March 15, 1997.

The Peggy Guggenheim

http://www.vasarely.com/site/intro.htm


EXAMPLES OF VICTOR VASARELY'S WORK:

Check out the two piece available at siglo moderno

http://www.siglomoderno.com/products/36
http://www.siglomoderno.com/products/37