Carel Visser 1928 - 2015
Represented by:
Bradwolff & Partners
Carel Visser (1928-2015) was a Dutch sculptor renowned for his sleek, minimalist sculptures that merged nature and geometry. His work is defined by a balance between simplicity and complexity, with a consistent exploration of materials like steel, iron, wood, and animal bones. Visser blended geometric forms with organic structures, giving his sculptures a subtle but powerful dynamism. He viewed rhythm and repetition as a way to depict growth and transformation in nature.
Over the course of his career, his style evolved from strict, linear forms to a more free, collage-like approach. He created a fascinating tension in his work by combining hard, industrial materials like steel with natural elements such as feathers and leather. This fusion produced sculptures that felt both grounded and mechanical, where materials unexpectedly but seamlessly interacted.
Visser’s vision was centered on the connection between the natural world and human-made structures. He sought to show how these two realms could coexist harmoniously. Through repetition and modulation, he crafted sculptures that possessed an almost musical quality, as if the forms were fluidly linked in motion. His work invites the viewer not just to observe the shapes, but to feel the rhythm and energy embedded within them.
With his distinctive use of materials and profound vision of the relationship between nature and geometry, Visser remains a significant figure in modern sculpture.
Over the course of his career, his style evolved from strict, linear forms to a more free, collage-like approach. He created a fascinating tension in his work by combining hard, industrial materials like steel with natural elements such as feathers and leather. This fusion produced sculptures that felt both grounded and mechanical, where materials unexpectedly but seamlessly interacted.
Visser’s vision was centered on the connection between the natural world and human-made structures. He sought to show how these two realms could coexist harmoniously. Through repetition and modulation, he crafted sculptures that possessed an almost musical quality, as if the forms were fluidly linked in motion. His work invites the viewer not just to observe the shapes, but to feel the rhythm and energy embedded within them.
With his distinctive use of materials and profound vision of the relationship between nature and geometry, Visser remains a significant figure in modern sculpture.
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Carel Visser (Papendrecht, May 3, 1928 – Le Fousseret, France, March 9, 2015) is widely regarded as one of the most influential Dutch sculptors of the 20th century. His work is prominently featured in major Dutch museums such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Kröller-Müller Museum, and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
Internationally, Visser is equally respected, with pieces included in the collections of renowned institutions like Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. His art has also been showcased at numerous international biennials, further enhancing his global reputation.
The presence of his work in such prestigious museums, both in the Netherlands and abroad, underscores his lasting impact on modern sculpture and his strong position in the art market. Visser's innovative use of materials and abstract forms made him a pioneering figure, blending both constructivist and organic sculptural styles.
Internationally, Visser is equally respected, with pieces included in the collections of renowned institutions like Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. His art has also been showcased at numerous international biennials, further enhancing his global reputation.
The presence of his work in such prestigious museums, both in the Netherlands and abroad, underscores his lasting impact on modern sculpture and his strong position in the art market. Visser's innovative use of materials and abstract forms made him a pioneering figure, blending both constructivist and organic sculptural styles.
CV
Carel Visser (Papendrecht, 3 mei 1928 – Le Fousseret, Frankrijk, 9 maart 2015)
Nederlands beeldhouwer, tekenaar en graficus
Opleiding
1948: Technische Universiteit Delft, richting Architectuur
1949-1951: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag
Volgde krap twee jaar de opleiding tot tekenleraar, maar koos uiteindelijk voor de richting beeldhouwen
Leraar aan academies en universiteiten
1958-1962: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag
1962: Visiting professor aan Washington University, USA
1966-1998: Ateliers '63 (Haarlem)
(nu gevestigd in Amsterdam als De Ateliers)
Prijzen en onderscheidingen
1968: David E. Bright Prize, Biënnale van Venetië
1972: Staatsprijs voor Beeldende Kunst en Architectuur
1986: David Röell Prijs
1992: Amsterdamse Kunstprijs
1992: Dr. A.H. Heinekenprijs voor de Kunst
1994: J.C. van Lanschotprijs voor de Beeldende Kunst
2004: Wilhelmina-ring
Selectie van solotentoonstellingen
1954: IJzerplastieken van Carel Visser, Kunsthandel Martinet, Amsterdam
1955: CN Visser: IJzerplastieken en Corneille: Schilderijen, 't Venster, Rotterdam
1957: Beeldhouwwerken van Wessel Couzijn, Shinkichi Tajiri en Carel Visser, De Nieuwe Ploeg, Huygens Museum, Voorburg
1960 / 1972 / 1978: Carel Visser, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1961 / 1967 / 1973 / 1994: Carel Visser: ijzerplastieken, tekeningen en grafiek, Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag
1961: 3 Constructivist Sculptors: Robert Adams, Coulentianos, Carel Visser, Bertha Schaefer Gallery, New York, USA
1965: Carel Visser, Galerie Espace, Amsterdam
1968: Carel Visser, XXXIV Biënnale van Venetië
1970: 3 Vissers: Arie Visser, Martin Visser, Carel Visser, Dordrechts Gemeentemuseum en Gemeentemuseum, Arnhem
1972 / 1975: Carel Visser, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
1978: Sculptor’s Work by Carel Visser 1952-1977, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Londen
1979: Carel Visser beelden, Groninger Museum, Groningen
1981 / 1999 / 2017: Carel Visser: 10 beelden, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
1984: Plakbeelden, Groninger Museum, Groningen
1986: Carel Visser beelden 1975-1985, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam
1987: Carel Visser: 4 Houtdrukken, Steendrukkerij, Amsterdam
1990: Carel Visser, Sprengel Museum, Hannover
1998: Carel Visser, Galerie Tanya Rumpff, Haarlem
2008: Carel Visser, Rijksmuseum Twente, Enschede
2015: Counterbalance, The Mayor Gallery, Londen en Borzo Gallery, Amsterdam
2018: Carel Visser: Genesis, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen
Bekende werken
Carel Visser is vooral bekend geworden door zijn abstracte ijzersculpturen, vaak samengesteld uit geometrische vormen en constructies. Enkele bekende werken zijn te vinden in het Kröller-Müller Museum en het Stedelijk Museum. Zijn werk evolueerde van strakke, geometrische vormen naar meer organische en ritmische structuren.
Nederlands beeldhouwer, tekenaar en graficus
Opleiding
1948: Technische Universiteit Delft, richting Architectuur
1949-1951: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag
Volgde krap twee jaar de opleiding tot tekenleraar, maar koos uiteindelijk voor de richting beeldhouwen
Leraar aan academies en universiteiten
1958-1962: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag
1962: Visiting professor aan Washington University, USA
1966-1998: Ateliers '63 (Haarlem)
(nu gevestigd in Amsterdam als De Ateliers)
Prijzen en onderscheidingen
1968: David E. Bright Prize, Biënnale van Venetië
1972: Staatsprijs voor Beeldende Kunst en Architectuur
1986: David Röell Prijs
1992: Amsterdamse Kunstprijs
1992: Dr. A.H. Heinekenprijs voor de Kunst
1994: J.C. van Lanschotprijs voor de Beeldende Kunst
2004: Wilhelmina-ring
Selectie van solotentoonstellingen
1954: IJzerplastieken van Carel Visser, Kunsthandel Martinet, Amsterdam
1955: CN Visser: IJzerplastieken en Corneille: Schilderijen, 't Venster, Rotterdam
1957: Beeldhouwwerken van Wessel Couzijn, Shinkichi Tajiri en Carel Visser, De Nieuwe Ploeg, Huygens Museum, Voorburg
1960 / 1972 / 1978: Carel Visser, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1961 / 1967 / 1973 / 1994: Carel Visser: ijzerplastieken, tekeningen en grafiek, Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag
1961: 3 Constructivist Sculptors: Robert Adams, Coulentianos, Carel Visser, Bertha Schaefer Gallery, New York, USA
1965: Carel Visser, Galerie Espace, Amsterdam
1968: Carel Visser, XXXIV Biënnale van Venetië
1970: 3 Vissers: Arie Visser, Martin Visser, Carel Visser, Dordrechts Gemeentemuseum en Gemeentemuseum, Arnhem
1972 / 1975: Carel Visser, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
1978: Sculptor’s Work by Carel Visser 1952-1977, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Londen
1979: Carel Visser beelden, Groninger Museum, Groningen
1981 / 1999 / 2017: Carel Visser: 10 beelden, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo
1984: Plakbeelden, Groninger Museum, Groningen
1986: Carel Visser beelden 1975-1985, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam
1987: Carel Visser: 4 Houtdrukken, Steendrukkerij, Amsterdam
1990: Carel Visser, Sprengel Museum, Hannover
1998: Carel Visser, Galerie Tanya Rumpff, Haarlem
2008: Carel Visser, Rijksmuseum Twente, Enschede
2015: Counterbalance, The Mayor Gallery, Londen en Borzo Gallery, Amsterdam
2018: Carel Visser: Genesis, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen
Bekende werken
Carel Visser is vooral bekend geworden door zijn abstracte ijzersculpturen, vaak samengesteld uit geometrische vormen en constructies. Enkele bekende werken zijn te vinden in het Kröller-Müller Museum en het Stedelijk Museum. Zijn werk evolueerde van strakke, geometrische vormen naar meer organische en ritmische structuren.
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