‘Formed by the wind’ by Pol Spilliaert (Sold)
This sculpture ‘Gevormd door de wind’ ( ‘Formed by the wind’, 1983-1985) by Pol Spilliaert (1935- 2023) came out of the personal collection of the heirs of the artist. The work might remind us of the dune landscape in De Panne on the Belgian seaside, where Pol grew up and played as a kid. The image juggles between abstraction and landscape with a big base resting on the ground and soft curves and slopes rising up from within. On the other side, an abrupt intervention takes the viewer by surprise as if the artist wants to remind you this work is not just about natural shapes nor rocks or stones, but an art object formed by human consciousness, reason and singlehanded made decision. This work of art is made of unfired clay. At the bottom there’s a few small chips missing but overall it’s in a good condition. We also have a plaster work ‘Toen en Nu’ (Then and now’) by Pol Spilliaert available.
Product / Model
Designer
Country
Date
Product ID
Price
Dimensions:
W: 48 cm
D: 26 cm
H: 337 cm
Weight: approx. 15 kilo
Material: Unfired clay
Pol Spilliaert, born in Bruges in 1935. Spilliaert studied at La Cambre in Brussels under key figures such as Léon Stynen, graduating with laureate honors in 1959. He also studied under George Grard and Charles Leplae, part of the Belgian lyrical abstraction movement. He was also a teacher himself at the Rijksnormaalschool in Hasselt (1962 till 1965) and Blankenberge (1964-1967). Between 1967 and the year 2000 he was also a sculpture professor at Sint-Lukas
In his artist philosophy, he was inspired by other sculptors like Brancusi: “achieving the right mental state is more crucial than physical execution”.
He saw sculpture as a constant quest. or as Spilliaert puts it: “I see sculpture as a play of shapes in which rhythm and ratio determine the value of the play”, says Spilliaert. “My sculpture is, to me, the expression of my inner longing—a longing for something new, again and again”.
The result are purified compositions, crystalizing formless feelings. Spilliaerts compositions have a strong focus on balancing organic versus geometric shapes, creating an interesting tension. The work is mainly abstract but the man-woman theme is recurrent in his work, albeit in a rigourously stylized form. His sculptures have a big level of energy that seems to almost burst out from within.
The titles of his work often refer to natural elements like the wind, sea or even cherries. Spilliaert liked to work with different materials. He was fond of marble, but also used clay, bronze, Belgian blue stone and plaster.
Already early on in his career he received the Godecharle Prize for Sculpture in 1959 and his work can be found in Middelheimmuseum in Antwerp, Ostend and even in Jedda in Saudi Arabia.
