Online Art Course: Eduardo Chillida: A Universal and Timeless Sculptor

Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002) is one of the most important artists of the second half of the twentieth century, and a key figure in contemporary sculpture.

Looking at the past and classical tradition from an inexhaustibly innovative and contemporary perspective, Chillida is a timeless artist and yet his work is highly relevant in today’s world.

This course delves into Chillida’s work and his creative process against the background of the 2020s.

It will be conducted by Kosme de Barañano,University professor and exhibition curator, and professor specializing in the work of Eduardo Chillida.

Workload: 6 hours (at your own pace)
Target audience: People over 18 who are interested in contemporary art
Language: Spanish
Structure: 4 modules, 16 video lessons, additional resources
Certification: Upon completion of the course, you will get a certificate

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS COURSE?

1. Some of the keys to the work of Eduardo Chillida, his main contributions, and his relevance today.
2. The importance of the land, of water, nature, and light in Chillida’s creative process and universe.
3. The importance of drawing as a tool and a thread in Chillida’s multiple ways of making art.
4. Chillida’s best-known public sculptures with regard to sustainability, cooperation, and balance.
5. The links between the artist and the Guggenheim Museums as shown in the exhibitions focusing on his work and the inclusion of his art in the Guggenheim Collections.

CONTENTS

Module I: Chillida’s Oeuvre: Stages and Development +info

Chillida creates “in”, “for” and “at the service of” the natural environment and the viewers who enjoy his work. In this module, you will also understand the importance of sound and music in Chillida’s work.

Video 1: Chillida, works and stages
Video 2: Critical reception of Chillida’s work, from Gaston Bachelard to Edmond Jabès
Video 3: The concept of space
Video 4: The concept of scale

Module II: Drawing as a Common Thread +info

Chillida used to draw with both hands at the same time, and with his mind as well. In so doing, he developed a formal style of his own. In this module, you will see examples of the different techniques he used and the arts he explored.

Video 1: Drawings
Video 2: Engravings
Video 3: Reliefs
Video 4: Gravitations

Module III: Chillida and Public Art +info

Never discouraged in his quest for sublimation in art, Eduardo Chillida chose special or unexpected places to install his sculptures. In some of his most ambitious public art projects, he worked with other artists to materialize his challenging sculptures.

Video 1: Abesti gogora V, 1966
Video 2: Comb of the Wind, 1976
Video 3: Eulogy to the Horizon, 1990
Video 4: Project Tindaya, 1992-1996

Module IV: Chillida, International Museums, and the Guggenheim Museums +info

The first Chillida-Guggenheim connection dates back to the late 1950s, with his first appearances in the Museums’ exhibitions and the addition of some of his works to the Guggenheim collections.

Video 1: From Sculptures and Drawings from Seven Sculptors, an exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1958 to Chillida: 1948–1998, a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 1999
Video 2: Chillida’s works in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Collection in Nueva York, 1950s-1960s
Video 3: Chillida’s works in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, 1960s-1970s
Video 4: Chillida’s works in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 1990s and a new collection

Photo: Foto: © Zabalaga Leku, San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Sucesión de Eduardo Chillida y Hauser & Wirth. Foto Jesús Uriarte.