Claus Bury: The Poetry of Construction

Claus Bury has been developing his sculpture for over forty years. His artistic work, however, began to unfold as early as the 1960s. After training to become a goldsmith, he at first devoted himself to designing jewellery, quickly ascertaining an independent stance in the field, which rendered him a celebrated and influential leading member of the burgeoning international auteur jewellery scene.

In 1979, in a radical break, Bury switched to fine art and large formats. Although he had already created temporary sculptures in the open countryside with performances and even works that were ephemeral on account of their exposure to wind and waves, he began to realise more permanent works made for the outdoors primarily of wood but also, less frequently, of stone, steel or aluminium. In the time since Bury has realised almost a hundred monumental sculptures in public locations.

The current publication includes a constitutive analysis by Volker Fischer devoted to Claus Bury’s oeuvre, in which he investigates in detail and extensively the content and contexts of Bury’s works. This first compilation in a catalogue raisonné features individual profiles of his works.

The photographs of the sculptures come from the artist himself and contain fascinating and exceptional views and perspectives. They are testament to how Bury captures and integrates the vast space that surrounds his sculptures. Gouaches and technical drawings complement the primarily black-and-white shots.

The architectural monumental sculptures by Claus Bury are presented in a catalogue raisonné for the very first time. Experience them in all their diversity over 400 pages. An extensive publication on an artist who in his works makes it possible to experience spaces in ever new ways so as to provide man with both location and locus.

About Claus Bury:
1946 born in Meerholz / Gelnhausen
1962 - 65 Trained as a goldsmith at the Staatliche Zeichenakademie Hanau
1965 - 69 Studied at the Kunst- und Werkschule Pforzheim
1969 - 70 Study trip in London
1976 Scholarship of the Kulturkreis im Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI)
1979 Sojourn in Australia at the invitation of the Goethe-Institut
1979 - 84 Relocated to the USA, resident in Providence, Rhode Island
1986 August-Seeling-sponsorship society of the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museums e. V., Duisburg
1986 Project funding via the Kunstfonds e. V., Bonn 1990 Scholarship of the Skulpturenpark Am Seestern, Düsseldorf
1990 Scholarship of the Skulpturenpark Schloss Philippsruhe, Hanau
1991 Art Award for City Sculptor of the City of Hanau 1996 Project funding via the Hessische Kulturstiftung
1997 - 2002 Chair of the Fundamentals of Design at Bergische Universität / Gesamthochschule Wuppertal
2003 - 11 Chair of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Nürnberg


About the author: Volker Fischer
Born in 1951 in Gotha. Studied art education, German philology, linguistics, and psychology in Kassel. Studied art history, archaeology, ethnology, German philology, and linguistics in Marburg. 1979 obtained a doctorate. Richard Hamann scholarship from the State of Hesse; cultural advisor to the City of Marburg. 1981 - 1993 deputy director, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, 1993 - 2012 senior custodian for product design, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, both in Frankfurt. 1992 - 2012 honorary professor at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach. Guest professor in Tokyo, Porto Alegre, and Curitiba. Associate and professional juror for architecture and design competitions. Some 1,500 published works on architecture, design, and cultural history.