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Jean Tinguely

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Artist

The Resume

    (May 22, 1925-August 30, 1991)
    Born in Fribourg, Switzerland
    Sculptor
    Created 'metamechanics' that mass-produced abstract drawings and 'kinetic art' machines that self-destructed
    Also created 'Heureka' (1964), 'Chaos I' (1974), Tinguely Fountain (1977), and Stravinsky Fountain (1983)
    Signer of the New Realists art manifesto (1960)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was fired from his first job, as an apprentice decorator at a department store, for 'lack of discipline at work.'
    He was fond of declarations like 'The only stable thing is movement.'
    During a talk at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, one of his metamechanics spit out so much paper, it nearly buried the audience.
    He celebrated the tenth anniversary of the New Realists manifesto by building a giant phallus next to the Milan Cathedral, then blowing it* up. (*The phallus, not the cathedral.)
    He incorporated animal skulls into his later sculptures.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He built his self-destructing machines from scrap metal.
    He and his wife designed a sculpture garden for the French Pavilion at Expo '67.
    When he was laid to rest, over 10,000 people (more than a quarter of the city's population) lined the streets of Fribourg to pay their respects.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying