Auke de Vries. an alphabet of nature

Dutch artist Auke de Vries (b. 1937) is best known for the elegant and whimsical sculptures he constructs in public space, both in the Netherlands and around the world. His striking permanent sculptures such as the Maasbeeld in Rotterdam, the Hollands Spoor Station sculpture in The Hague, the work in the pond of the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam, on the roof of the Daimler-Chrysler Building in Berlin, and many projects in cities such as Istanbul, Johannesburg, Aberdeen, Frankfurt make him one of the most well-known artists of work in public space. Less well-known is that De Vries’s artistic spectrum extends far beyond sculpture, ranging from tiny sketches to large-scale spatial design studies. In 2012 De Vries turns 75 and he has been an artist over 50 years. This book presents, for the first time, an overview of the oeuvre De Vries has produced over the course of more than 50 years. At the Museum Belvédère Heerenveen there is also an exhibition from 13 May to 26 August which marks that anniversary. Auke de Vries: Sculptures, Drawings and Work in Public Space provides a richly illustrated chronological account of the evolution in the visual work and the artistic career of Auke de Vries, by examining his photography, graphics, paintings, drawings, explorations of public space, autonomous and commissioned work, exhibitions and his professional life. The common thread in his work is, together with nature, the connection between art and architecture.