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Antoni Gaudi

Art genre: Art Nouveau, Surrealism.
Art media: Architecture, furniture.

Life: The son of a coppersmith, Gaudi was born in 1852 in Catalonia, Spain. He studied architecture in Barcelona from 1873 to 1877. His work was heavily influenced by his interest in nature and, through his designs, he attempted to mimic the way that trees and people grow. He was involved in the Catalan Renaissance, an artistic movement that supported the region's political independence. He was also deeply religious and towards the end of his life devoted himself to designing a major church in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia. He lived on the site and was obsessed by his work. In 1926 he was run over by a tram. Because of his impoverished appearance he was taken to a pauper's hospital and died two days later. He was buried in La Sagrada Familia - an architectural masterpiece that is still under construction.

Work: Gaudi's work is very distinctive. He took architecture and design in new directions, mixing Oriental and western influences and experimenting with colour and materials He often patterned surfaces with mosaics, ceramic tiles and intricate metalwork. His interest in the way that natural things grew was reflected in his attempts to build structures that stood on their own and didn't need external supports. Gaudi's first major project was producing designs for a housing project for factory workers - although like many of his projects, only a small portion was actually built. He designed apartment buildings in Barcelona, some of which are open to the public, and filled these with furniture that reflected the design of the buildings. He also created Parc Guell, an open area with ornate staircases, pavilions and mosaics. He devoted thirty years of his life to La Sagrada Familia, a church richly decorated with Christian imagery and spindle towers that dominate the city skyline. The church is still being built using original plans that Gaudi developed.

Find out more:
www.gaudiallgaudi.com
www.en.wikipedia.org

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