Two famous Sculptors

I would like to introduce to you two sculptors, both exceedingly famous, working in completely different styles and both honoured manyfold.

Please note that the following is a very personal opinion of “Bertstravels” who has no academic qualification whatever, but who, through deep interest in the arts, has developed a sense of “like and like-not-so-much” all of his own.

Hans Peter Profunser was borne in 1956 in the town of Lienz in the Province of East Tirol.

He lives in an out-of-the-way community of Oberberg in the Valley of the River Drau.

His honours and laudatios are many, his popular acceptance intense.

Here are only two of his creations which decorate both ends of the bridge over the river Drau, very near my home.

"Die Getriebenen" ( 'The Hunted'  or  'The Driven')

Three human figures, bent forward, straining, 

running in a flowing motion,

so natural that one might almost detect a movement.

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"Begegnung"    ( ' Meeting' )

Five human figures, arms reaching for each other,  

in a boat, split in two, 

Two Nations, two Peoples meeting, desiring 

Mutual Understanding! Peace!

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Bruno Gironcoli: Died in 2010 at age 74.

He had become one of Austrias  most famous 

and highly prized and priced sculptors.

Among many other Prizes and Awards 

he received the " Grand Austrian State Prize"

Gironcoli's work, compared to Profunser, seems staid, motionless, sometimes threatening

"Sacophargus"

decorated with two Swastikas, (one side-reversed)

Pretentious, blocky, without movement or life, 

seeming to deny entrance to the Museum Liaunig.

Do the Swastikas indicate the death of the System which used this sign as its emblem ?

But then, one would bury them inside and not use them as a decoration  of the coffin.

(I truly do not understand it)

"Bed"

I dare not offer an opinion: If asked I would have to say that Gironcoli falls into my category of "Like-not-so-much". His Art is clearly beyond my understanding.

as is a quote attributed to him by the "Independent" on Tuesday, 16th March 2010:

When asked to define what motivated him, Gironcoli explained:

"The sculptor has no employer; He has to go beyond this paralysing situation; the model and the vacuum of the model become desire and unconsciousness".