welded steel 17x17x85 cm Sold
About the artist
After returning to Amsterdam in 1950, Volten transformed from an Abstract Expressionist painter into a non-figurative sculptor, partly as a result of his work as a welder at the NDSM shipyard in Amsterdam-Noord.
From 1953, and certainly after 1954 – the year in which he co-founded the artists’ group Liga Nieuw Beelden – Volten belonged to a group of sculptors who were intensely engaged with the role of art in public spaces.
This resulted in numerous constructivist sculptures in many cities in the Netherlands and beyond. From the late 1960s onwards, Volten increasingly produced his sculptures in stainless steel, though he also frequently used granite and Corten steel.
His body of work made a significant contribution to the integration of visual art into public spaces. In 1996, Volten was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Fund for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture for his work. His works can be found in the collections of the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, the Kunsthalle Mannheim in Mannheim and the Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten in Marl, amongst others.
Volten passed away at the age of 77. A commission from Queen Beatrix to create a work of art to mark the wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander was never completed.