b. 1964, Switzerland

Ugo Rondinone Artworks

Ugo Rondinone artworks are meditations on the world and everyday life, that reflect particularly on the theme of time and, blur boundaries between what is real and artificial. Avoid making art that is intellectually complex Rondinone works with basic familiar imagery.

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Rainbows

In Rondinone's practice, rainbows are one of the most common motifs. From 1997, he began producing lit rainbow signs presenting simple poetic titles and phrases in large characters in the shape and colours of the rainbow. His later large-scale semi-circular 'Rainbow' paintings (2015–2016) continue the motif in acrylic airbrush on canvas and silkscreen on plexiglass.

At once beautiful and fantastical, the rainbow, easily recognised as an LGBT symbol, signifies the freedom to love whomever one wish. It is an especially important symbol for the artist given his affectionate relationship with John Giorno.

In a conversation with Ocula Magazine in 2014, Rondinone claims to work with 'very basic raw symbols, something that everyone can relate to, from a child to an old person, from the East to the West.' The emphasis is on creating engagement through experiencing the work first, rather than a conceptual understanding.

Mountains

Rondinone's use of Day-Glo rainbow colours extends into many other works. One of the artist's foundational sculptural motifs are his towers of brightly coloured rocks; a motif taken to its greatest heights in works like Seven Magic Mountains in Nevada (11 May 2016–2018). These towering stacks of rough-cut boulders are painted in artificial Day-Glo rainbow hues, as well as silver black, and white. In a press release for the Nevada installation, the artist stated that he sees this combination of artificial colour and natural rock formations as a continuum 'between human and nature, artificial and natural, then and now.'

Stone Figures, Masks and Trees

Not all of Rondinone's art involves bright colours. Another of the artists favoured motifs consists of simple primitive figures, composed of rough-hewn stone blocks evoking man-made formations like Stonehenge. He also makes mask-like sculptures inspired by indigenous Alaskan Yup'ik mask. These aluminium casts made from clay moulds, are painted in a single dull colour.

Another kind of sculpture, yet again in aluminium, is the variety of ghostly olive trees, coated in white enamel that have found their way into public spaces across the globe.

Installations

Rondinone is also well known for his mixed-media installations. The artist's exhibitions often present a holistic, total work of art experience. Planned out in detail—with the use of miniature models—Rondinone establishes connections between different works that are enhanced by the colour scheme, generate layout and the architecture of the host gallery space.

Rondione's holistic installations combine various motifs developed throughout his career, creating new meaning through different arrangements. The artist's passive lacklustre clowns, that have appeared in video, life-size sculptures and live performances, have sat in layouts that also feature his floating mandalas, mesmerising and blurry target paintings, and brightly coloured monochrome wall paintings.

In Rondinone's 2021 Vocabulary of Solitude installation for Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, light shines through coloured film installed in the high windows to cast an array of rainbow colours on the variously posed clown mannequins below.

Browse Artworks
ersteroktoberzweitausendundzweiundzwanzig by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork painting
Ugo Rondinone ersteroktoberzweitausendundzweiundzwanzig, 2022 Watercolour on canvas, artist's frame
24.5 x 34.5 cm
Praz-Delavallade Request Price & Availability
neunzehnterdezemberzweitausenddreiundzwanzig by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork painting
Ugo Rondinone neunzehnterdezemberzweitausenddreiundzwanzig, 2023 Acrylic on canvas
120 x 120 cm
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Esther Schipper
Blue Red Yellow Green Pink Mountain by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone Blue Red Yellow Green Pink Mountain, 2019 Painted stone, stainles steel, pedestal
196 x 41 x 34 cm
Galerie Thomas Request Price & Availability
pink clock by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture, installation
Ugo Rondinone pink clock, 2022 Stained-glass window, wire
120 x 120 cm
Esther Schipper Request Price & Availability
red yellow blue mountain by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone red yellow blue mountain, 2022 Painted stone, stainless steel, pedestal
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the sun at 6 am by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the sun at 6 am, 2019 Gilded bronze
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the answer + the question by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the answer + the question, 2023 Stone
30 x 28 x 7 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the accept + the decline by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the accept + the decline, 2023 Stone
25 x 21 x 9 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the before + the after by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the before + the after, 2023 Stone
28 x 29 x 9 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the above + the below by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the above + the below, 2023 Stone
25 x 18 x 11.5 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the answer + the question by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the answer + the question, 2023 Stone
30 x 28 x 7 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the accept + the decline by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the accept + the decline, 2023 Stone
25 x 21 x 9 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the before + the after by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the before + the after, 2023 Stone
28 x 29 x 9 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the fall + the rise by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the fall + the rise, 2023 Stone
24 x 18.5 x 7 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
the endless by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork painting, sculpture
Ugo Rondinone the endless, 2023 Acrylic on wood, glass panel
245 x 160 x 8 cm
Esther Schipper Request Price & Availability
einundzwanzigsterjulizweitausendundsechzehn by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork painting
Ugo Rondinone einundzwanzigsterjulizweitausendundsechzehn, 2016 Acrylic on canvas
272 x 180 x 4.5 cm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber Request Price & Availability
alluring cloud by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture
Ugo Rondinone alluring cloud, 2019 Sand, gravel, concrete
99 x 214 x 87 cm
Gladstone Gallery Request Price & Availability
blissful light by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture, installation
Ugo Rondinone blissful light, 2023 Painted bronze
648.6 x 448.4 x 408.3 cm
Gladstone Gallery Request Price & Availability
glorious light by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture, installation
Ugo Rondinone glorious light, 2023 Painted bronze
611 x 436.3 x 315.5 cm
Gladstone Gallery Request Price & Availability
sublime light by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork sculpture, installation
Ugo Rondinone sublime light, 2023 Painted bronze
616 x 372.2 x 335.7 cm
Gladstone Gallery Request Price & Availability
sunrise. east. june by Ugo Rondinone contemporary artwork painting, sculpture
Ugo Rondinone sunrise. east. june, 2005 Cast bronze, silver car paint, concrete plinth
Esther Schipper Request Price & Availability
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