Benjamin Vautier was born in 1935, in Naples, Italy, to a French family. He was the great-grandson of the Swiss painter Marc Louis Benjamin Vautier (1829–98). He discovered Yves Klein and the Nouveau Réalisme in the 1950s, but he quickly became interested in the French Dada artist Marcel Duchamp and the music of John Cage.
In 1959, Vautier founded the journal Ben Dieu. In 1960, he had his first one-man show, Rien et tout in Laboratoire 32.
Vautier joined George Maciunas in the Fluxus artistic movement, in October 1962. He was also active in Mail-Art and was mostly known for his text-based paintings or écritures, which began in 1953, with his work Il faut manger. Il faut dormir. Another example of the latter is L'art est inutile. Rentrez chez vous (Art is Useless, Go Home). A notable work made for Harald Szeemann's Documenta 5 exhibition in 1972 shouts, “KUNST IST ÜBERFLÜSSIG” (English: "Art is Superfluous"), and was installed across the top of the Fridericianum museum in Kassel, Germany.
Vautier long defended the rights of minorities in all countries and was influenced by the theories of François Fontan about ethnism. For example, he defended the Occitan language (southern France). In 1981, he coined the name of the French art movement of the 1980s Figuration Libre (Free Figuration).
Find Benjamin Vautier art on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by Gallery 55 TLV)
$1,000
"Mystery Box (Boîte mystère)" Ben Vautier, Fluxus Movement Conceptual Sculpture
By Ben Vautier
Located in New York, NY
Ben Vautier Mystery Box (Boîte mystère), 1965 Painted wood with letterpress label 3 13/16 × 2 3/4 × 2 7/16 inches Ben Vautier was a French artist known for his text-based paintings...
Wood, Paper
Found Object Wall Sculpture/Relief by Gertie Lowe
By Gertie Lowe
Located in Long Island City, NY
Wall sculpture assemblage by Gertie Lowe, from 1978, is a conceptual abstract with everyday objects. Muted neutral tones are contrasted with vibrant accents. Signed and dated verso...
Plastic, Wood
Chimera Bad
By Niki Singleton
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Acrylic, oil, paper collage, car side mirror, branches, chimes, rag, clock radio (Instructions: Press “on” button on side of radio to turn on. Tune to suitable station) A pa...
Acrylic, Mirror, Mixed Media, Oil, Rag Paper
$667
H 15.5 in W 21.5 in D 1.5 in
Gil Scullion, You Walk, 2017, 20 sheets stacked hand-cut paper
By Gil Scullion
Located in Darien, CT
Where do we come from? Where are we going? What the hell is going on here? 2017-2018 Hand cut paper in wood box Gil Scullion’s conceptual text-based work has been featured in exhibi...
Paper
Keynote XIV
By Dianne Baker
Located in Buffalo, NY
Diane Baker is a mixed media and fiber-related sculptor working out of Buffalo, NY. She has exhibited throughout the United States and in Canada and is included in several public and...
Found Objects, Tape, Wood
Stripes 2
By Lyn Carter
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original conceptual wall sculpture by contemporary Canadian female artist Lyn Carter. Lyn Carter works primarily in sculpture as well as drawing and has exhibited across Canada...
Fabric, Wood, Digital
Wood equals paper
By Dianne Baker
Located in Buffalo, NY
A contemporary collection of conceptual wall sculptures by Dianne Baker titled "Wood = Paper" created in 2016 with wood, metal, leather and handmade paper. Various Sizes: 16" x 1...
Metal
$667
H 15.5 in W 21.5 in D 1.5 in
Gil Scullion, You First, 2017, 20 sheets of stacked hand-cut paper
By Gil Scullion
Located in Darien, CT
Where do we come from? Where are we going? What the hell is going on here? 2017-2018 Hand cut paper in wood box Gil Scullion’s conceptual text-based work has been featured in exhibi...
Paper
Child's Play (I and II)
By Dianne Baker
Located in Buffalo, NY
Each of the works is 14" x 16" x 1". They are meant to be hung together either vertically or horizontally. Diane Baker is a mixed media and fiber-related sculptor working out o...
Metal
$800
H 5 in W 7 in D 2 in
Fritz Horstman, Formwork for a Rectangle, 2015, Plywood, Wood
By Fritz Horstman
Located in Darien, CT
While working on a large building project several years ago the artist, Fritz Horstman was struck by the poetry in the unfinished state of the construction site. He was drawn specifically to the space between the plywood walls that were raised as formworks for the pouring of cement. That space could only exist for a few hours before the cement truck...
Wood, Plywood
$667
H 15.5 in W 21.5 in D 1.5 in
Gil Scullion, You Get, 2017, 20 sheets of stacked hand_cut paper
By Gil Scullion
Located in Darien, CT
Where do we come from? Where are we going? What the hell is going on here? 2017-2018 Hand cut paper in wood box Gil Scullion’s conceptual text-based work has been featured in exhibi...
Paper
$1,700
H 8 in W 17 in D 2 in
Fritz Horstman, Five Walls With Openings, 2016, Wood, Walnut
By Fritz Horstman
Located in Darien, CT
While working on a large building project several years ago the artist, Fritz Horstman was struck by the poetry in the unfinished state of the construction site. He was drawn specifically to the space between the plywood walls that were raised as formworks for the pouring of cement. That space could only exist for a few hours before the cement truck...
Wood, Walnut
$2,650
H 14 in W 14 in D 4 in
Resin Abstract Circle Sculpture: 'Circle'
By Kelly Bugden + Van Wifvat
Located in New York, NY
The artistic collaboration of Kelly Bugden + Van Wifvat has produced a thought-provoking body of sculptures, paintings, and constructions. Nature, childhood memories, and everyday archetypes take shape in unexpected combinations of materials. The works emerged as the tactile and visual senses channeled the ritualistic power and materiality of selected artifacts. The resulting objects exist in a space between what they were originally and what they could become. A wheel, for example, is distorted as if seen through a prism. Their collaboration grew out of years of shaping materials into one-of-a-kind objects. Intuitively, the process of creating with their hands took an inward turn. Prism is a travelogue through memories and dreams, yielding abstract forms that capture moments of transformation. Van Wifvat grew up with eight siblings and studied sculpture and environmental design in Minneapolis at MCAD. In 1979, he opened a storefront art gallery to promote the work of local artists. The space featured printed materials—art books, periodicals, fanzines, and postcard’s. Wifvat moved to New York in 1983 to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons. In 1987, he co-founded Van Gregory & Norton design studio, specializing in convex mirrors and curtain hardware...
Ceramic, Resin, Wood, Glaze, Handmade Paper