Jean Tinguely’s legacy

Tinguely (1925–1991) was a Swiss artist best known for his sculptural machines he called ‘Metamechanics’. His position in art history came after the dada movement to make pioneering moving sculptures in a modernist arena. Though his works were deliberately useless his free wheeling innovations inspired many artists to come.

Jean Tinguely - Homage to New York (1960)
Jean Tinguely – Homage to New York (1960)

Arthur Ganson (b.1955) was one of those inspired by Tinguely to make complex and refined yet ambiguous mechanical sculptures.

Arthur Ganson – Untitled Fragile Machine

Michael Landy (b.1963) upon visiting a Tinguely exhibition in London whilst still a teenager inspired a career making art. He later produced a book of drawings of Tinguely’s sculptures, a testimony to his appreciation of the mechanics and forms.

Michael Landy – H.2.N.Y. Machine Committing Suicide, 2006