Biografie Frans Muhren

Artist: Frans Muhren
Education: Rietveld-academy in Amsterdam 1971-1975

I work in various materials, such as synthetics, iron, wood, and “objets trouvTs”. What all my sculptures have in common is movement and colour. Some of them are really moving, others express movement. Here you can see two sculptures of the serie Tango mortale , which is an example of the latter. In this series the iron is cut into form with a cutting torch, heated, bend and finished. Usually, the two figures are welded together and then painted.
The Tango mortale’s represent the dynamics and tension of human relationships – such as those between the sexes. As the title indicates, the dance may end badly. Of all dances, the tango is the most passionate in its movement but also in itself the most detached. To attract and repel is the essence of the dance.
In the third sculpture as shown here, like some of my other sculptures, you can see the influence of famous painters, such as Rousseau, Matisse and Mondriaan. The influence of the latter is obvious in the Boogie-woogieworp, which is an homage to the painter (after his last, unfinished painting, Victory Boogie Woogie).