TONY CRAGG

The exhibition explores Tony Cragg’s ongoing interest in the nexus between industrial materials and organic forms, demonstrating an intrinsic and multifaceted dialogue between the natural and the man-made. In the sculptures of the Industrial Nature series, Cragg explores a multifaceted dialogue between nature and technology: the organ ic, ellipsoid curved, leaf like shapes of the works evoke the dynamics and movement of natural processes, while simultaneously presenting a distinctly mechanical aesthetic. This tension between untamed form and strict tectonics speaks to the series’ highly topical theme of domesticated nature. After all, we are scarcely surrounded by wild nature nowadays; instead, a utilitarian and artificial understanding of nature prevails—nature tailored for human use and the human eye.

This interplay is also evident in the surface treatment of the sculptures. In the aluminium works Industrial Nature, the painted surfaces were meticulously worked over by the artist with a sanding tool, selectively stripping back the layers of paint to bare metal. The result is a richly nuanced interplay of smooth, glossy colour planes and raw areas, producing camouflage like tonal effects.

Journal—the suite of 250 drawings dating from 1986 to 2024 that Tony Cragg has selected from his extensive works on paper—is being presented here in its entirety to the public for the first time. This comprehensive selection offers a concentrated look at the artist’s graphic engagement with form, space, and material. Broad in scope, each drawing captures a moment in his exhaustive search for formal principles; they sensitise the viewer to the subtle shifts of line, rhythm, and spatial relationship, and provide a unique insight into the artist’s creative thought process.

For decades, Cragg has worked passionately on the graphic medium, producing extensive series of works on paper. Drawing and working on paper constitute a fundamental method of artistic inquiry for him—what he describes as a “process of seeking knowledge.” The drawing, as a “discoverer of forms for [...] imperceptible processes” ⁽¹⁾, is thus central to Cragg’s project of heightening perception and fostering awareness.

Tony Cragg is counted among the foremost sculptors of our time. His work has been honoured with numerous prestigious awards—including the Turner Prize, the Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture, and an honorary knighthood from the British crown. He is also a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The Buchmann Gallery has represented Tony Cragg since 1983 and has housed the artist’s drawing archive for many years.

1.) Tony Cragg, in ‚Entdeckung der Zeichnung (Discovering the drawing), conversation between Armin Wildermuth and Tony Cragg’, Tony Cragg. Drawings (Ostfildern, 1993), p. 16