Nils-Udo

I discovered Nils-Udo through the July issue of the Air France Magazine (leave it to the French to have a great airline magazine).  Nils-Udo is a Bavarian artist who left painting to work directly in and with nature in the early 1970’s and has continued to do so ever since.  Photographs of his site-specific work (by the artist himself) are being exhibited at Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, and a new installation will premiere at the site as well (through December 31, 2009 http://www.domaine-chaumont.fr)–if you’re in the area.

Winternest.  Snow, willow switches, snowballs dyed with snowball berry juice.  Bavaria, Germany, 1993.

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Brook bed, bindweed blossoms.  Ile de La Réunion, 1990.

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Sweet chestnut leaf, spirea blossoms.  Vassivière, France, 1986.

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Earth, water, willow, grass, rowan berries, privet berries.  Aachen, Germany, 1999.

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Volcanic brook bed, foxglove blossoms.  Ile de La Réunion, 1990.

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Sunflowers without seeds, snowball berries, spindle tree seed pods on a river.  Donauried, Germany, 1993.

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Untitled-21. Lime tree, bird berries and lime tree sheets.  Aachen, Germany, 1999.

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Mirror.  Earth, water, bird berries, willow rod, blades of grass.  Aachen, Germany, 1999 .

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Apologies for an un-spectacular scan-job that hardly does justice to the originals (and a few little tears too–oops).  I think my favorite might be the volcanic brook bed and foxglove blossoms–or maybe Mirror (wish I could find a better image).  I like circles and domes in general.  There is a famous blue circle in a church in Florence that I always think of and can never remember the name of the church or artist–maybe my memory made it up.

I love Nils-Udo now, and I think you should too.  If you are interested in finding out a little more about him…

His representation: Claire Gastaud (website).

Some information from a recent show in the States (click here).

A beautiful-looking book (amazon).

all photographs by Nils-Udo

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