Alberto Giacometti

Happy Birthday Alberto Giacometti!! Swiss born (1901) sculptor Alberto Giacommetti was the son of Neo-Impressionist Giovanni Giacometti. He studied art in Switzerland before going to Paris to continue his study of sculpture with Antoine Bourdelle. He and his brother established a studio in Paris where he worked until the invasion of Paris in 1940. It is reported that he fled Paris on a bicycle! His earlier work has been categorized as Surrealism, but later he was interested in the fleeting existence of humanity (Existentialism) and created thin, spare figures wavering between reality and dream. The relationship of his figures to the space they occupy would become the focus of his sculpture. Balance also comes into play as his creatures defy gravity and manage to stand, as in the sculpture below.