Chianciano Art Museum
Critical Analysis Artist: Brigitte Saugstad Art Critic: Karen Lappon
ICAC
International Confederation of Art Critics
Critical Analysis Artist: Brigitte Saugstad Art Critic: Karen Lappon
The Museum The Museum of Art of Chianciano hosts a series of collections ranging from Neolithic and Asiatic to Contemporary art. There are approximately a thousand works on display. Visitors are able to view paintings and sculptures by artists such as Tom Nash, Salvador Dali, Sir Henry Moore, Frances Turner, Mario Schifano, Damien Hirst, Brian Willsher and Albert Louden, drawings by the likes of Magritte, Guttuso and Munch; historical works from Royal Collections and original etchings by masters such as Dürer and Rembrandt. The museum is known for organising annual international events, including the Chianciano International Art Award and the Biennale of Chianciano.
Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) “Joachim and the Angel” Original woodcut, circa 1504
Sir Henry Moore (1898-1986) “Head” Bronze Sculpture
ICAC
International Confederation of Art Critics
The Critic
Karen Lappon, born in Santander, Spain, is an Italian art critic and essay writer that operates in London, UK. Although an expert on the Italian Renaissance period, Lappon is also great admirer of contemporary art. Karen studied at the “I Liceo Artistico in Via Ripetta” and at the “La Sapienza” University in Rome. A book of great interest curated by Karen is the “2nd Millenium”, the publication of an important exhibition at the Lord Leighton Museum, in which the talent and art of the prominent painter, Frances Turner - selected 5 times in a row for the BP Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London - is highlighted. This artist has been spotted and appreciated by another great critic, Normal Searle, that wrote an article in the Evening Standard on one of Frances’ paintings. “Vita e Opere di Antonio Sbrana” is a publication in which Lappon ties the activity of Sbrana and his influences on the “Macchiaioli” of the 19th century, like Natali and Fattori. A publication that illustrates the continuity of this movement and how it is still present in Italy today. Besides being a consultant for the Chianciano Museum of Art, Karen Lappon is part of the Board that selects artists for the Biennale, a difficult task that she has undertaken since 2009, along with other curators, to choose 100 artists out of 2000 applicants that will be part of the Chianciano Biennale. Karen is part of the jury of the London Biennale where 120 artists, selected from 40 different countries participate, and has been chosen by the organisers to accompany the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea during the opening of the biennale.
“ViennaBloom” ceramic and gold by Brigitte Saugstad
The Artist
Born in Vienna, Brigitte Saugstad studied ceramics and design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna at Prof. Mattheo Thun’s class. After completing her studies, the artist spent several months at the College of Arts in New Delhi where she delved into the Indian mythology surrounding the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. Deeply moved and inspired by this experience, the artist has let this divine bringer of happiness dance through her hands over the years, and in all her works is woven this principle of Ganesha - the embodiment of eternal childlike joy, innocence and wisdom within. Rather than provoke thought with her art, Brigitte Saugstad prefers to effect a state of thoughtlessawareness and release. The Italian art critic, Georgio Pilla, summarised Brigitte Saugstad’s art in the following words: “The nature of the works lies in the flowing movements, the gliding and the floating, that lend the sculptures and other objects an extraordinary impression of joy and lightness. At the same time the works radiate a strength and solidarity with the earth. It is this balance between dynamism and harmony that instantly attracts the observer and suffuses one with life.” Brigitte Saugstad presently lives and works as an independent artist in the countryside in Lower Austria and Vienna.
“Balance is Everything� ceramic with platinum glaze by Brigitte Saugstad
The Critique Brigitte Saugstad is a ceramic sculptress that embodies the essence of the joy of life itself. Her works express happiness and lightness in such a way as to draw the viewer into a dancing whirlwind of spontaneity and almost childlike pleasure. The taste and refined style of her creations capture our attention at first sight and inadvertently we find ourselves smiling. The fatigues and the stress of daily life are taken from us as if by magic and we are uplifted into an absolutely free and cathartic dimension. Brigitte’s work represents a breath of fresh Spring air in the world of art today. The colours and the movement she gives to her creations are of a sublime beauty. The grace and rounded contours of her statues remind us of Botero’s everlasting figures. The skill of her technique, subdued to a joyous and radiant ability, make of this sculptress an unforgettably sensitive artist, clearly inspired by the Vienna Sezessionsstil movement of the early 1900s, in her search for fluid, sinuous lines and innovative emotional communicative pathways. It is impossible to remain impassive when looking at Brigitte’s works. The involvement is complete and ineffable. She manages to create a serenely carefree atmosphere in which the viewer has a vision of the present that is so sought after that he throws himself headlong into the pleasure of feeling a playful child again. In fact, Brigitte’s experiences in life are displayed through her works in such an open and enthralling way: her life in Vienna, her previous career as figure skater, her trip to India. Brigitte’s view of life appears amazingly unblemished and positively cheerful and she expresses it through the use of lively, seductive colours and dynamic, exuberant forms. Her care for detail and minutia denote all her craftsmanship and technical ability. These enchanting and fascinating creations come from the root of beauty itself that clearly resides in the very soul of this talented and creative artist.
Karen Lappon International Confederation of Art Critics
“I Won!� glazed ceramic by Brigitte Saugstad
Iceprincess Series - glazed ceramics by Brigitte Saugstad
International Confederation of Art Critics www.international-confederation-art-critics.org