Joep van Lieshout (don’t ask me how to pronounce his name) first caught my attention because his sculptures are an interesting mix between the fine art and applied arts. His sculpture are tables, lamps, and sometimes even whole buildings… like the creepy “Bikini Bar” concept below (seriously, you have to check this out.) If van Lieshout’s more bizarre sculptures weren’t a pure white, I’m not sure if they would creep me out more or less than they do now… but I do know that his art stirs feelings inside me. I haven’t determined whether they’re bad or good, but the point of art is simply to impact the observer. One thing that I am certain of is that Joep can Lieshout makes sculptures that affect me in ways that few, if any, other artists do and that alone makes me want to share his work with others.
Apparently, he’s a pretty big deal in his home country (Holland) and in Europe, but I hadn’t heard of him until recently so I’m assuming that a lot of other people haven’t either. Listen, I’m not saying you have to love his style; but, you have to appreciate the originality, creativeness, and (sometimes) functionality of what he makes. Take a moment to look through his website and go through the art on there to get a true appreciation of the versatility Joep van Lieshout can display.
