Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd
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'Non-Violence'
Signed CFR and numbered 8/8 on plaquette. Executed in 2012. Patinated bronze, L 96 cm, H 65 cm. Measurements including the iron base: L 104 cm, D 32 cm and H 75 cm.
Provenance
Non Violence Project Foundation.
Lars Bohman Gallery. Stockholm.
Private Collection, Stockholm.
More information
Carl Fredrik Reutersvärd describes his thought behind the artwork "Non-Violence" with these words: "Humor is the best tool we have to bring people together. When I created my peace symbol, I thought about how important it was to include some humor, just so that my 'weapon' would become symbolically ridiculous and completely useless."
At the Skissernas Museum in Lund, there is a sketch for the first Non-Violence sculpture where Reuterswärd noted that it was the grief after the murder of John Lennon in 1980 that inspired him to create the artwork. Since then, the sculpture has been varied in a multitude of sculpture models and drawings, becoming an international symbol for peace and non-violence.
Art has always been a powerful medium for conveying emotions, ideas, and societal messages. "Non-Violence" by Carl Fredrik Reutersvärd is more than just an artwork; it is a testament to the power of creativity and the indomitable will of the human spirit in the face of violence. This iconic sculpture challenges viewers to reconsider their perceptions of violence and, with humor as its weapon, reminds them of the importance of peaceful coexistence. Today, over 40 years after the sculpture was created, it continues to inspire and captivate. "Non-Violence" is a symbol of hope and a call for a more peaceful world.
One of the first three versions was purchased by the Luxembourg government and donated to the United Nations in 1988, where it has held its place in front of the UN headquarters in New York ever since. Today, the symbol exists as a sculpture in over 30 locations worldwide, including the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and in the park of the Chancellor's Office in Berlin. The original bronze version is in the collections of Moderna Museet in Stockholm.
Artist
Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd (1934-2016), is a Swedish painter and sculptor who lives in Switzerland. He studied with Fernand Léger in Paris 1951-1952 and was a professor of painting at The Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm 1965-1969. He lived in Bussigny/Laussane and Paris. In 1974 he was a guest professor at Minneapolis School of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reuterswärd is known for his sculpture showing a revolver tied in a knot, called Non Violence, on display outside United Nations headquarters in New York.
One of the first established artists to use the hologram technique was Bruce Nauman who recorded a well-known series of pulsed-laser transmission holograms entitled Making Faces in 1968. His holograms were exhibited at the Castelli Gallery in New York. Another famous artist was Salvador Dalí who made holograms at McDonnell Douglas holographic labs in the USA and exhibited in New York at the Knoedler Gallery. Harriet Casdin-Silver in the USA and Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd in Sweden are two other established artists who were attracted to lasers and holography and created early holographic art pieces in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Reuterswärd’s early work, including laser and holography art pieces, is described in the book:
25 YEARS IN THE BRANCH, Benteli Verlag Berne, Switzerland, 1977. ISBN 91-7100-125-5.
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