For more sculptures
visit the complete works of Lucien den Arend where one can see most of his
works made over a period of almost forty years. He has site specific
sculptures in over fifty cities, mostly in Europe. His landscape sculptures
have been realized mainly in Holland. When asked about his 'green-art' Lucien
den Arend writes about his own work:
"In my sculpture I use many materials. When I make objects with which I
solve form problems for myself, I use materials like wood, metal or anything
else which is best suits the idea I have. Many of these works have indeed been
realized on a large scale - using materials like steel, concrete, bronze or
stone.
Green-art: The importance of the relationship between art and
nature is as important as the relationship between art and geometry, for
instance. Geometry, as well as nature, is what we are part of. I try to put no
limitations on what material I use or on my inspiration. Each individual viewer
has his or her preferences and tastes. A work of art will appeal to one and be
revoking to another person. Usually most people will remain indifferent anyway
(I don't work for them). But nature has its drawing power and interests us to
some extent in one way or another. I have experienced that most people are more
receptive to art when it involves growing natural materials - and I have also
experienced that when people ask what I am making, when working with natural
materials, they remain interested up to the point I tell them it's art. That is
where the discussion starts. So when I feel like it....
When I get the chance I like to make environments (environmental sculpture
is the term I coined in the sixties of the 20th century). A few environmental
works were made without using living materials - like a design for a patio in a
Police station in Rotterdam:
http://www.denarend.com/cities/rotterdam/groot-ijsselmonde/index.htm.
Here I did use the element of flowing water and natural stones, but no growing
materials.
Whenever possible I like to use indigenous plants which I select because
of their form and the situation in which people usually encounter them - so for
instance pollarded willows in an urban setting have been taken out of their
context (being on or around farms); in this way I want to use their evocative
aspects (see
http://www.denarend.com/cities/terneuzen/02.htm).
With pollarded willows it is also the form which can be contained - I want to
limit the area over which I have control). One, up to now, never realized
project is the clearing (http://www.denarend.com/cities/groningen/index.htm)
in a new forest in the Dutch town of Groningen. On this internet page I have
more text about this particular project.
One example of my not using indigenous plants is a new section of the city
of Ede in The Netherlands (http://www.denarend.com/cities/ede/index.htm).
Here I felt the need to introduce an experience which was totally
unconventional, trees from the Everglades growing in a Dutch basin, and
intersecting a 262 foot red concrete wall."