On our daily trip through the incredible story on the use of steel in arts, building and design, I would like you to rediscover a remarkable artist.
Photo: Courtesy of The Fabsric Workshop and Museum
The American Chris Burden ( born on the 11th of April 1946) is without doubt a pivotal figure in contemporary art. His performances in the 1970s redefined the possibilities of the medium; the sculptures and installations he makes have pushed back the boundaries of what is physically possible in the visual arts. This work by Chris Burden stands for multiplicity and discord, but also for decay.
The Chris Burden exhibition in Middelheim Park opened in spectacular fashion in 2009. Spectators followed live and closely the creation process of the artwork Beam Drop Antwerp.
source: https://middelheimmuseum.be/
Liquid concrete was poured into a square 12 x 12 m pit to a depth of 2.5 m, after which more than 100 steel beams were ‘dropped’ into the ground from a height of 45 m with the help of cranes and gravity. Performance artist Burden uses steel here in the same way as Jackson Pollock used paint.
The pronounced angles of each individual profile, the interaction between the different profiles, and the relationship between certain profiles and the edge of the concrete foundation, evoke a primordial force, both order (the measured planning of the execution, the illusion of construction) and disorder, even downright chaos (forms that collide with other forms, others that are bursting at the seams).
The sometimes rusty steel has something of an immovable skeleton, but also stands for transience.
Chris Burden passed away on the 10th of May 2015.
source: www.middelheimmuseum.be
About the Author:
Bruno Dursin – Managing Director at Believe in Steel. Bruno has more than 30 years of experience in promoting steel & steel solutions. His clients benefit from his extensive network within the building industry.
