(1922 Batumi/Georgien - 2016 Wien) "Drei Figuren". Originaltitel Bronze, dunkelbraun patiniert, 1977. Sign. u. nummeriert 201/400, Gießerstempel von Venturi Arte, Bologna, sowie EuroArt-Herausgeber-Stempel. Charakteristisch für das Oeuvre des zeitgenössischen griechisch-österreichischen Bildhauers sind stark stilisierte, von der menschlichen Figur abgeleitete, abstrakte Skulpturen und Plastiken mit langen, an- und abschwellenden Körpern. Der mit vielen Preisen ausgezeichnete Avramidis vertrat Österreich 1962 bei der Biennale von Venedig und lehrte 1968-1992 als Professor an der Wiener Akademie. 40,2 cm x 25,5 cm x 5,2 cm. Dark brown patinated bronze, 1977. Signed and numbered 201/400, Venturi Arte foundry stamp and EuroArt editors stamp.
Austrian Post War Avramidis, Joannis Drei Figuren. 1977. Relief. Bronze mit goldbrauner Patina. Ca. 40 x 25,4 x 5,5 cm. Vorne an der Plinthe signiert (geritzt) und nummeriert (gestempelt) sowie mit dem Gießer- und Herausgeber-Stempel. - In den Vertiefungen leicht angestaubt, vereinzelte leichte Oxidationspunkte, verso oben mittig Hängevorrichtung, dort punktuell oxidiert, insgesamt sehr gut. Ganz ausgezeichneter Guss mit gleichmäßiger, stellenweise wirkungsvoll polierter Patina. Eines von 400 Exemplaren. - Guss bei Venturi Arte, Bologna, hrsg. v. EuroArt. - Avramidis' skulpturales Schaffen konzentriert sich auf den menschlichen Körper, er wird zum Maß seiner Dinge. Der Frage nach dessen Proportionen nachgehend und eine Formel für ein allgemeingültiges Modell der menschlichen Figur suchend, steht Avramidis mit seinem künstlerischen Ansatz in der langjährigen Tradition der Proportionsstudien von Leonardo da Vinci und Albrecht Dürer. Charakteristisch für sein Werk sind säulenartige Standfiguren, die unmittelbar Assoziationen an antike Skulpturen wecken. Aufgebaut aus klaren übereinandergeschichteten Horizontal- und Vertikalschnitten des Körpers, sind sie zum einen geometrisch, zum anderen organisch, bedingt durch die schwellenden Außenkonturen, die die Rundungen der Körperform fühlbar abbilden. Kompakt, reduziert, klar und eine beeindruckende Strenge ausstrahlend, behaupten sich seine Arbeiten als "vollkommen erfassbare Form" im Raum (zit. nach J. Avramidis, 1967). Eine seiner bekanntesten Schöpfungen ist die blockartige Figurengruppe "Polis" vor der Berliner Nationalgalerie, vertreten ist er in zahlreichen Sammlungen weltweit. Relief. Bronze with gold-brown patina. At plint on the front signed (incised) and numbered (stamped) as well as with the caster's and publisher's stamp. - In deepenings stlightly dusted, isolated slight oxidisational spots, hanging device on verso's upper middle, there slight oxidisation, all in all very good. Extremely superb cast with homogenous, mostly effectively polished patina. - One of 400 copies. - Cast by Venturi Arte, Bologna, publ. by EuroArt. - Avramidis' sculptural work focusses on the human body which becomes the measure of all things. Pursuing the question of its proportions and seeking a formula for a universally valid model of the human figure, Avramidis' artistic approach is in the tradition of Leonardo da Vinci's and Albrecht Dürer's proportion studies. His work is characterised by columnar standing figures that immediately evoke associations with antique sculptures. Constructed from clear, layered horizontal and vertical sections of the body, they are geometric on the one hand and organic on the other, due to the swelling outer contours that depict the curves of the body shape as if they could be felt. Compact, reduced, clear and radiating an impressive rigour, his works assert themselves as a 'perfectly graspable form' in space (quoted from J. Avramidis, 1967). One of his best-known creations is the block-like group of figures 'Polis' in front of the Berlin Nationalgalerie.
JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (1922 Batumi - 2016 Wien) 2 Lithografien auf Bütten, "Stehender weiblicher Akt" (1967) und "Schreitender männlicher Akt" (1972), jeweils in Bleistift signiert "Avramidis" und datiert, jeweils rückseitig von fremder Hand bezeichnet, ca. 63,5x45,5cm, ungerahmt, 1x stärker gebräunt/lichtrandig
Joannis Avramidis Figure IV 1963 bronze h. 163 cm signed on the bottom side: Avramidis edition: 6 private collection, Austria Michael Semff, Avramidis. Skulpturen and Zeichnungen, Munich 2005, ill. p. 110; Hans-Peter Wipplinger (ed.), Joannis Avramidis. exhibition catalogue, Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Vienna 2017, p. 116, ill. p. 117. Joannis Avramidis is one of Austria's most outstanding sculptors of the 20th century. His art combines abstraction and human form in an original style which Werner Hofmann described as the "rhythm of austerity". The human figure is Avramidis’ central theme. Inspired by the art of classical Greek antiquity as well as artists such as Hans von Marées, Brancusi, Cézanne, Léger, Schlemmer and Wotruba, he achieved a synthesis of the abstract and the figurative in his search for an objective basic form or archetype of the human being. Using circular segments as a basis, Avramidis developed a constructive system, reducing the human figure to a column devoid of any spatial gesture, thus also making reference to the theory of proportion of Greek antiquity. Nevertheless, the human form and posture has been preserved and is still recognisable through the division of the body into horizontal segments. However, movement, which is – as it were – deactivated, finds a kind of inner expression in the rhythmically oscillating flow of the contour. Joannis Avramidis’ steles, at rest in themselves, radiate a unique stillness. They invite the viewer to explore the essence of human existence. Avramidis left a lasting mark on Austrian sculpture and remains an inspiring figure in 20th-century art history. (Ina Waldstein)
Joannis Avramidis 1922 Athletic act Lithograph on paper, 1972; H 520 mm, W 300 mm; signed and dated lower right ''Avramidis 72''; numbered lower left ''XLIII''
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Kleine figur, 1959 Bronze with brown patina Signed with the monogram on the base Edition of 6 + a few artist's proofs H: 67 cm Provenance : - Athens Art Gallery, Athens - Private collection, Greece Our thanks to Mrs. Julia Avramidis for the information she kindly provided on this work Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Kleine figur, 1959 Bronze à patine brune Signé du monogramme sur la base Edition à six exemplaires + E.A. H : 67 cm Provenance : - Athens Art Gallery, Athènes - Collection particulière, Grèce Nous remercions Madame Julia Avramidis pour les informations qu'elle nous a aimablement communiquées sur cette oeuvre
With punched signature 'AVRAMIDIS' and numbered. Cast 1/4 (+2). Following the intensive study of the human body and ancient classical statues, Joannis Avramidis develops the mathematically constructed, perfectly balanced formula of the human figure. All-visible, self-contained and de-individualised, it becomes a timeless, eternally valid human symbol, which he realises in the most diverse variations. However, the sculptor does not focus only on the individual human, but also the human community in accordance with the idea of the ancient polis state. He visualises the concept of the equal, independent unity of individuals in groups of closely placed figures of the same height, bound in a single unit. ‘Trias’ reduces the figural focus to the area of the head and neck. The design was created on the occasion of the planning of a public square that will never be executed, modelled on the ancient Greek agora. “Avramidis plans a monumental depiction of a head at the centre of the square. The small model of ‘Trias 1970/71’ is the one planned variation. The three interlocking head forms are logical developments of the head zone of the fully symmetrical sculpture […] into a triple unit. The triad of heads as a symbol of human community should dominate the square and rise to a height of eight meters.” (Wilfried Skreiner, in: Trigonpersonale 5, Joannis Avramidis, exhib.cat. Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz 1974, n.p.). Even on a small scale, ‘Trias’ impressively transports the fundamental human idea into the surrounding space in its consolidation and universal view.
(Batum, Georgia, 1922–2016 Vienna) “Kleiner Schreitender”, 1972, bronze, gold-brown patina, signed Avramidis, numbered 2/6, height 42 cm Compare: Grieche unter Griechen. Joannis Avramidis in der Glyptothek, Munich, 1999, p. 12 – „Schreitender“ Exhibited: Joannis Avramidis, Galerie Ditesheim, Nauchatel, 2018 „Avramidis ist nicht nur die Begabung seiner Generation in Österreich, er ist es sicherlich auch in Deutschland, und er gehört zu den wenigen großen Bildhauern unserer Zeit. …“ Fritz Wotruba – anlässlich der Verleihung des österreichischen Staatspreises 1973 an Avramidis “Avramidis is not only the genius of his generation in Austria, but certainly also in Germany, being one of the few great sculptors of our time. ...” Fritz Wotruba - on the occasion of the award of the 1973 Austrian State Prize to Avramidis.
JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (Batumi 1922–2016 Vienna) Kopfmonument in Landschaft mit Bandfiguren. 1998. Pencil and resin paint on brownish paper. Signed and dated upper right: Avramidis 98. 18 × 70 cm. Provenance: - Raimund Thomas Munich. - Purchased from the above in 2004, private collection Switzerland. - By descent to the present owner, also private collection Switzerland. --------------- JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (Batumi 1922–2016 Wien) Kopfmonument in Landschaft mit Bandfiguren. 1998. Bleistift und Kunstharzfarbe auf bräunlichem Papier. Oben rechts signiert und datiert: Avramidis 98. 18 × 70 cm. Provenienz: - Raimund Thomas München. - Bei obiger Galerie 2004 erworben, Privatsammlung Schweiz. - Durch Erbschaft an den heutigen Besitzer, ebenfalls Privatsammlung Schweiz.
JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (Batumi 1922–2016 Vienna) Kopf I. 1966. Bronze, patinated in brown. With the incised signature and number lower right: AVRAMIDIS 5/6. Height 36 cm (incl. plinthe). Provenance: - Raimund Thomas Munich. - Purchased from the above in 2000, private collection Switzerland. - By descent to the present owner, also private collection Switzerland. "It is not enough that you do something unique. It must also be seen. But it is precisely the unique quality that many do not see." Joannis Avramidis The Greek-Austrian sculptor Joannis Avramidis was one of the most important figures in modern sculpture. With great skill and precision, the artist succeeded brilliantly in depicting the human body and its parts in sculptures that are abstract, reduced to the essentials and perfect in form. His sculptures, in which nothing can be taken away or added, radiate an impressive austerity, power and rhythm. For Avramidis, drawing was the true creative act; the visibility of the design process and the structure of his figures were paramount. His sculptures were always based on structural drawings with coordinates of the body, measurements, and proportions. Typical of his oeuvre are upright column-like standing figures, block-like groups of figures and sculptures of heads, which present themselves to the viewer as closed forms without any gesture or movement. In all his works, the artist always started from the nature of the human body and was constantly in search of absolute form. Inspired by the theories of antiquity and the Renaissance, and constantly exploring the Greek doctrine of proportion, Avramidis achieved fame with his sculptures in a very short time. As in all his sculptures, in the present bronze sculpture from 1966, he has allowed the boundary between abstraction and the figurative to merge. He has reduced the head more and more to its basic form, leading it back to the geometry of a round shape, until the ultimate possible conclusion is reached. Joannis Avramidis was born in 1922 to Greek parents in Batumi, Georgia, on the Black Sea. At the age of 17 and while still at art school in his home town, his father was arrested by the Stalinist regime and died in captivity. His mother fled back to Greece with the children. During the Second World War, Avramidis was deported to the Austrian capital by the National Socialists as a forced labourer. In 1945 he was able to continue the art studies he had begun in Georgia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. At first Avramidis studied painting with Robin Christian Andersen. From 1953 to 1956 he was sponsored by the famous sculptor Fritz Wotruba. As Austria's representative at the Venice Biennale in 1962, Avramidis achieved his international breakthrough and was henceforth considered one of the outstanding sculptors of the 20th century. In 1964 he took part in documenta II, and in 1977 in documenta 6. In 1973 he was awarded the Grand Austrian State Prize for Fine Arts. From 1968 until his retirement in 1992, Avramidis held a sculpture masterclass as professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Joannis Avramidis died in 2016 at the age of 93. He left behind a complete and comprehensive body of work. --------------- JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (Batumi 1922–2016 Wien) Kopf I. 1966. Bronze, braun patiniert. Rechts unten mit der eingeritzten Signatur und Nummer: AVRAMIDIS 5/6. Höhe 36 cm (inkl. Plinthe). Provenienz: - Raimund Thomas München. - Bei obiger Galerie 2000 erworben, Privatsammlung Schweiz. - Durch Erbschaft an den heutigen Besitzer, ebenfalls Privatsammlung Schweiz. "Es genügt nicht, dass man etwas Besonderes macht. Es muss auch einer sehen. Gerade das Besondere sehen aber viele nicht." Joannis Avramidis Der griechisch-österreichische Bildhauer Joannis Avramidis gehört zu den bedeutenden Protagonisten der modernen Plastik. Dem Künstler gelingt es auf beeindruckende Weise, mit handwerklichem Geschick und Genauigkeit den menschlichen Körper und Teile davon in Skulpturen abstrakt, auf das Wesentliche reduziert und in einer vollkommenen Form darzustellen. Seine Skulpturen, bei denen nichts mehr weggenommen oder hinzugefügt werden kann, strahlen beeindruckende Strenge, Kraft und Rhythmus aus. Für Avramidis ist Zeichnen der eigentliche schöpferische Akt; die Sichtbarkeit des Gestaltungsprozesses und die Struktur seiner Figuren sind oberstes Anliegen. Seinen Plastiken liegen stets Konstruktionszeichnungen mit Koordinaten von Körper, Mass und Proportionen zugrunde. Charakteristisch für sein Œuvre sind aufrechte, säulenartigen Standfiguren, blockartige Figurengruppen und Kopfskulpturen, die sich dem Betrachter als geschlossene Körper ohne jegliche Geste und Bewegung präsentieren. Bei all seinen Werken geht der Künstler stets von der Natur des menschlichen Körpers aus und ist ständig auf der Suche nach der absoluten Form. Inspiriert durch die Theorien der Antike und der Renaissance und unter stetiger Auseinandersetzung mit der griechischen Proportionslehre erlangt Avramidis mit seinen Skulpturen in kürzester Zeit Bekanntheit. Wie bei all seinen Skulpturen lässt er auch bei der vorliegenden Bronzeplastik aus dem Jahr 1966 die Grenze zwischen Abstraktion und figurativer Darstellung verschmelzen. Er bricht den Kopf immer weiter auf dessen Grundform herunter und führt ihn bis zur letztmöglichen Aussage auf die Geometrie eines Rundkörpers zurück. Im Jahr 1922 wird Joannis Avramidis als Sohn griechischer Eltern im georgischen Batumi am Schwarzen Meer geboren. Mit 17 Jahren und mitten in der Ausbildung an der Kunstschule seiner Geburtsstadt wird sein Vater vom stalinistischen Regime in Haft genommen und kommt um. Seine Mutter flieht mit den Kindern zurück nach Griechenland. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg wird Avramidis durch die Nationalsozialisten als Zwangsarbeiter in die österreichische Metropole verschleppt. 1945 kann er das in Georgien begonnene Kunststudium an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien fortsetzten. Zuerst studiert Avramidis Malerei bei Robin Christian Andersen. Von 1953 bis 1956 wird er vom berühmten Bildhauer Fritz Wotruba gefördert. Als Vertreter Österreichs auf der Biennale in Venedig erreicht Avramidis 1962 den internationalen Durchbruch und zählt fortan zu den herausragenden Bildhauern des 20. Jahrhunderts. 1964 nimmt er an der documenta II, 1977 an der documenta 6 teil. 1973 erhält er den Grossen Österreichischen Staatspreis für Bildende Kunst. Von 1968 bis zu seiner Emeritierung im Jahr 1992 führt Avramidis als Professor eine Meisterklasse für Bildhauerei an der Wiener Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Im Jahr 2016 stirbt Joannis Avramidis im Alter von 93 Jahren. Er hinterlässt ein umfassendes Lebenswerk, das vollkommen in sich ruht.
Punched signature 'AVRAMIDIS' on base and numbered. Cast 2/3 (+0/3 +PA/3). On the figure of the ‘Striding Man’ from the works of Joannis Avramidis, Michael Semff wrote the following: “Avramidis developed three variants on the theme of the ‘Striding Man’, the earliest version of which is a small aluminium version created in Hamburg in 1966. The ‘classical’ square version, which the artist created in 1969 in bronze and aluminium as a life-size work, was joined in 1999 by two equally large ‘Striding Men’, which transformed the original idea of two strips running closely alongside each other into a more organic round form. The initial result was a completely round version in which the two dynamic parallel ‘columns’ make reference to the biaxial static ‘Kouros’ of 1956. Compared to the semicircular version of the ‘Striding Man’, also created in 1999, the former construction certainly appears to be the most ‘naturalistic’ interpretation of the theme, while the division of the form makes it more abstract and concise, lending the individual parts a more functional and symbolic expression and, at the same time, slenderness and elegance. To a certain extent – especially when viewed from the side – one could speak of a hybrid, partially square and partially round, as this side view is a synthesis of the arboreal-organic growth of the leg section and torso developing out of the plinth and the static appearance of the razor-sharp contoured, flat cut surface that forms the inside of the leg displaced by the striding position. In sculptures such as this, Avramidis achieves a captivating fusion of drawing and sculpture, of silhouette and volume. Without a doubt, the sculptor’s early claim to keep the graphic conditions verifiable and clearly legible for the viewer at all times is fulfilled. This is in line with Avramidis’ fundamental concern that a legible work can also be taught.” (Michael Semff, Joannis Avramidis, Skulpturen und Zeichnungen, Munich 2005, pp.305/306)
Avramidis, Joannis (1922-2016) "The Kiss I" 1969, lithograph 58/100, b. sign./dat./num./titl., mounted in passepartout, SM 50x65cm (w.PP. 74,5x56cm), slightly creased, rest.
Avramidis, Joannis (1922-2016) "Figures" 1967, color lithograph, 121/200, b. sign./dat./num., mounted in passepartout, SM 53,5x76cm (w.PP. 57,5x79cm), spotted
(1922 Butumi - Wien 2016), zugeschrieben. Bäume. 2 Bleistiftzeichnungen. Je ca. 30 x 20 cm. Verso von fremder Hand zugeschrieben sowie je mit Stempel der Galleria XXII Marzo, Venezia. D
Joannis Avramidis (1922 Batumi, Georgia - 2016 Vienna) 'Dreifiguren-Relief', 1976, bronze, dimensions 40 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm, signed, foundry stamp, numbered 172/400, the upper edge with some traces of pigment, with purchase receipt Provenance: Galerie Brusberg; private collection, Hanover The Greek-Austrian artist Joannis Avramidis was born 23rd September 1922 in Batumi and is especially known for his abstract-figurative works. In 1937 he began to study painting at the Art Academy of Batumi, but had to abandon his studies when he was forced to leave his hometown due to the ethnic cleansing ordered by Stalin. He later studied painting under Robin Christian Andersen at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1945 to 1949 and sculpture with Fritz Wotruba from 1953 to 1956. Inspired by classical antiquity, he concerned himself in his works with proportions and movement. He combines the figurative with the abstract to create sculptures whose soft and stylized forms are reminiscent of human figures without depicting them definitively.
JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (B. 1922) Avra 32 Round Figures, 1962 incised with the artist's signature and numbered 'AVRAMIDIS 6/6' (on the base) bronze with golden brown patina 37 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. 95.3 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm. For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016), The Kiss I., lithograph, 1969, signed & dated (19)69 lower right, titled & numbered 47/100 lower right, sheet dimensions 63 x 47,5 cm
Bronze with golden brown patina. (1969/1970). Ca. 144 x 35.5 x 53.5 cm. A numbered cast from an edition of 3. With incised signature on the front lower right.
Punched signature "AVRAMIDIS" and numbering on the plinth. Cast 5/6. The ideal of a universally valid human figure with perfect proportions dominates the artistic work of Joannis Avramidis. From the intense study from nature and archaic and classical antique statues, the artist constructed his own mathematical proportion schema of the human figure towards the end of the 1950s, and thus arrived at an eternally valid symbol of man - static, de-individualised, and all-seeingly self-contained. He transposes this perfectly proportioned form as a single figure but also in multi-figure groups, guided by utopian ideals of Ancient Greece and the Renaissance, according to which human existence and community are characterised by freedom, justice and harmony. Avramidis' works are equally abstract and figural. “Fundamentally, every artwork is in reality abstract, because the act of creation is essentially a process of abstraction. The opposite would be a depictive work, which I do not call creative”, he himself points out (quoted after: exhib.cat. Joannis Avramidis, Leopold Museum, Vienna 2017, n.p.). The degree of abstraction is heightened in the Humanitassäule (Humanitas Column), a pictorial idea the artist developed in the mid-1960s. Here he places groups of figures closed into a round, in several layers on top of each other, creating a column shaft with a relief surface. The human form is thus completely absorbed into a group of equals. The Humanitassäule were planned as an integral part of a round temple, an architectural project, the conception of which Avramidis elaborated in drawings and models, but which was ultimately never realised.
JOHANNIS AVRAMIDIS Ohne titel (Kopf). Bronze, circa 1960. 330 mm; 13 inches (height). Ex-collection Otto Gerson, New York; Marlborough-Gerson Gallery, New York; Marlborough Gallery, New York; private collection, New York. Avramidis (1922-2016) was a Greek-Austrian sculptor who studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna from 1945-49 and sculpture at Fritz Wotrubas' (1907-1975) sculpture classes from 1953-56. He was inspired by classical antiquity and Italian Renaissance sculpture, which greatly valued a figure's proportions. Avramidis blended abstraction with figuration often creating forms with heightened texture and sensuality. He noted of his work, "My work demonstrates the execution of an objective, that is to say, of a perfectly graspable form. This form is the primary prerequisite for creating a work of art. In this I try to remove any personal stylistic influences from my work. The only real references in my work are to Antiquity and Early Italian Renaissance."
Joannis Avramidis (Batum in Georgien 1922 - 2016 Wien) Kopf. Kunstharz u. Aluminium. 1973. Höhe: 16 cm. Durchmesser: 30 cm. In Versalien signiert sowie nummeriert "13/22". Schaetzpreis €4000
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Kopf II (Head II) incised with the artist's signature and number 'AVRAMIDIS 0/6' (along the lower edge) bronze with dark brown patina 33 x 20.5 x 20.5cm. Executed in 1965, this work is number zero from an edit
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Zweifigurengruppe B incised with the artist’s signature and number 'AVRAMIDIS 2 3' (along the lower edge); incised with the artist’s initials 'A' (on the base) bronze with brown patina, on a bronze with brown patina
"Modell für eine Säule III", so auf Etikett "Galerie Elke Dröscher", Hamburg bez. Bronze, gold-braun patiniert. Auf Plinthe monog. "A", die Arbeit stammt aus dem Jahr 1963. H. 78 cm. Prov.: Galerie Elke Dröscher, Hamburg, Ausstellung 1977. Die Skulpturen von Joannis Avramidis sind von menschlichen Körpern abgeleitet. Die "Kleine Säule" stellt zwei übereinander gestapelte, menschliche Körper dar. Neben zahlreichen internationalen Ausstellungen wie der documenta als auch der Biennale ist er in vielen Sammlungen vertreten.
Bronze cast of an edition of 5. Joannis Avramidis dedicated his entire creative oeuvre to the ideal, universally valid human figure of perfect proportions. In keeping with his Greek origins, he takes his inspiration from the models of ancient Greece: the structure of the human figure based on strictly symmetrical, archaic foundations, which resulted in the perfectly proportioned body of classical statues. By intensively studying and drawing nature as well as studying the antique collections of museums around the end of the 1950s, Avramidis acquired his own mathematical construction scheme for the human figure - the sign of a person, so to speak, not in individual form or in movement, but in perfect statics and in hermetic, comprehensive coherence. The artist considered himself as a part of the millennia-old tradition of classical sculpture: “I have the ideal that my work should be as little time-dependent as possible. My ideal conception is that my work could have been created in a different period, in the Early Renaissance or in ancient Greece.” (Joannis Avramidis, as cited in: exhib.cat. Joannis Avramidis, Leopold Museum Wien, Cologne 2017, p.215). In addition to the individual figures, Avramidis also created groups of figures following his construction scheme. According to his ideal image based on antiquity, they indicate the Greek principal of the “polis”, in other words the city state as an independent unity and community of free individuals. Accordingly, he construed figures standing on common ground as individuals, but in a densely packed group. The spatial density suggests collaborative exchange; the same head height expresses the equality of all. The group of figures thus epitomises a humanistic concept which has lost none of its topicality.
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Stirn-Kinn Kopfincised with the artist's signature and number 'AVRAMIDIS 2/6' (along the lower edge) bronze with dark brown patina35.5 x 18 x 20cm.Executed in 1971, this work is number two from an edition of six
Joannis AVRAMIDIS (1922 - 2016) GROUPE MOYEN DE 3 PERSONNAGES - 1980 Bronze à patine dorée Signé et numéroté sur la terrasse "Avramidis, 5/6" h: 109 w: 63 d: 46 cm Commentaire : Nous remercions Madame Julia Avramidis pour son aide. Bronze with gold patina; signed and numbered on the base Estimation 20 000 - 30 000 €
Joannis Avramidis (1922-2016) Chair Sculpture Céramique émaillée Date de création : années 1960 H 30 × L 22,5 × P 27,5 cm Provenance : Collection Garrick C. Stephenson et par descendance
JOANNIS AVRAMIDIS (1922-2016) Kopf IV (Head IV) incised with the artist’s signature ‘AVRAMIDIS’ and stamped with the number ‘2/6’ (on the lower right edge) bronze with brown patina 29.5 x 16 x 16cm. Executed in 1959, this work is number two from an edition of six
Pencil and coloured crayon on paper Signed and dated 1970 twice, dedicated 'A Marianne et Jan' 50 x 41cm. (19 1/4 x 16 1/8in.) All lots in this sale have been imported from outside the EU and are under Temporary Admission, therefore the buyer must pay the import VAT at the rate of 5% on the Hammer Price. If your intention is to re-export a lot outside the EU, you must notify us upon receipt of your invoice to allow us to prepare the necessary paperwork for your shippers. IMPORTANT: This lot is sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
(1922 Batumi/Russland - 2016 Wien) Figuren, 1967 Farblithografie auf Papier, 166/200, 50 x 70 cm ungerahmt Zustand: sehr gut Signatur vorne rechts unten: Avramidis 67
Bleistift auf dünnem Karton von “Schoellers Parole“. (19)63. Ca. 50,5 : 73 cm. Monogrammiert und datiert oben rechts. Minimale Handhabungsspuren, sonst gut.
Joannis Avramidis, Aktstudie, Signed and dated in pencil lower right: Avramidis 1952. On the cardboard dedicated, signed and dated: Joannis Avramidis Wien 17 Oktober1968, Charcoal on brownish paper, mounted on cardboard, 17 3/4 × 12 1/4 in.
The plinth with punched signature 'AVRAMIDIS' and numbered. One of 6 casts.The bronze Kleine Figur IV features a work typical of the artist in the 1960s. The standing figure is set up on its axis and is accentuated by its curves. Not only the main axis but also the curves are reminiscent of elements of nature from which Joannis Avramidis draws his inspiration. "With his concept, the artist basically started from zero by creating the figure according to the principle of the curve in pillar and sphere according to the early Greek classic era. His underlying scheme was the vertical axis, although, first of all, it was only possible to construct the statically upright stature, as the incorporation of movement would have been incompatible with the principle of the pillar. Avramidis layered the volume of the stature segment by segment along the vertical line of the pillar's axis, similarly to the growing or narrowing annual rings of a tree trunk, whereby these segments as circle constructions develop from the pure circle ensuring the volume's utmost charging and stretching." (Michael Semff, Avramidis Skulpturen und Zeichnungen, Munich 2005, p.74)
The plinth with punched signature 'AVRAMIDIS' and numbered. One of 6 casts.Inspired by classical antiquity and Italian renaissance, in his works, Joannis Avramidis is in search of the ideal stature and its proportions. Since his participation in the Venice Biennale in 1962, he is regarded as a classic of European sculpting. Michael Semff describes his works as follows: “The work by the Greek artist Joannis Avramidis sets standards. It holds its ground as an unshakable block in the art of the second half of the 20th century. He brings together the traditions of artistic expression of a thousand year-old Mediterranean culture where the human figure, his central theme, was radically and newly devised from the inside. In this respect, the system and the stringent principles of the artistic process enforce the elimination of subjective arbitrariness to a large extent. […] Avramidis' utopian notion of an „absolute figure“ accrues from the constant fight between the “data” wrenched from nature and the construction enforced by the idea: drawing and sculpture as an indissoluble interwoven approach to an ideal image of man spanning across time that is to be reconstructed.” (Michael Semff, Avramidis Skulpturen und Zeichnungen, Munich, 2005, p.21ff)
Bronze relief, dark brown patina Vienna, 1977 Joannis Avramidis (b. 1922) – Greek-Austian sculptor Signed in the cast and stamped with the number „113/400“ Stamps of founder ‘Venturi Arte Bologna’ and publisher ‘Euroart’ on the plinth Dimensions: 40.1 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm Good condition Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 1,600 Euro Condition: Good overall impression. Some minor stains to the legs and the plinth. The dimensions of the relief are 40.1 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm. Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.
AVRAMIDIS, JOANNIS 1922 Batum/Georgia Relief. 1967. Porcelain, unglazed. 39 x 70 x 3cm. Signed and numbered verso on a plaque "ars porcellana, rosenthal relief reihe": Avramidis 1/50. Edition Rosenthal (ed.). Number 1/50.
