Jean Tinguely Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely, 1961
Born	(1925-05-22)22 May 1925 Fribourg, Switzerland
Died	30 August 1991(1991-08-30) (aged 66) Bern, Switzerland
Spouse(s)	Eva Aeppli (1951–1960) Niki de Saint Phalle (1971–1991)
Partner(s)	Milena Palakarkina (1986–1991)

Jean Tinguely (born May 22, 1925 – died August 30, 1991) was a famous Swiss artist. He was known for making amazing sculptures that moved! These moving artworks are called kinetic art. Tinguely's art often made fun of how much stuff we produce and how machines do everything. He continued a style of art called Dada, which was all about being playful and sometimes a bit silly.

About Jean Tinguely's Life
Famous Public Artworks
- The Hon – en katedral Art Project
Gallery of Works
Images for kids
See also

About Jean Tinguely's Life

Jean Tinguely was born in Fribourg, Switzerland. He grew up in Basel. From 1941 to 1945, he studied art at a special school called Kunstgewerbeschule.

In 1952, he moved to France with his first wife, Eva Aeppli, who was also an artist. He became part of a group of new and exciting artists in Paris. In 1960, he even signed a special paper called the New Realist's manifesto. This paper was about new ways of making art.

One of his most famous works was a sculpture designed to destroy itself. It was called Homage to New York (1960). It was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This sculpture only partly broke itself apart. Later, in 1962, he made Study for an End of the World No. 2. This one successfully blew up in front of people in the desert near Las Vegas.

Tinguely married Eva Aeppli in 1951. Later, in 1971, he married another artist named Niki de Saint Phalle. They worked together on many art projects. Some of these projects include Hon – en katedral and Le Cyclop.

Jean Tinguely passed away in 1991 when he was 66 years old. He died in Bern, Switzerland.

Famous Public Artworks

Jean Tinguely created many large artworks that you can see in public places. Here are some of them:

Chaos I (1974): A sculpture in Columbus, Indiana, USA.
Le Cyclop: A huge sculpture located outside of Milly-la-Forêt, France.
The Stravinsky Fountain (1983): This playful fountain is near the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Tinguely made it with Niki de Saint Phalle.
Carnival Fountain (Fasnachtsbrunnen) (1977): You can find this fountain in Basel, Switzerland.
Tinguely Fountain (1977): Another fountain in Basel.
Lifesaver Fountain: Located on Königstrasse in Duisburg, Germany. This was also a team effort with Niki de Saint Phalle.
Jo Siffert Fountain: Often called the Tinguely Fountain, it's in Fribourg, Switzerland.
La Cascade: A sculpture in the Carillon Building lobby in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Métamatic sculptures (1950s): These were machines that could draw pictures on their own.
Luminator (1991): This artwork was on display at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse for a long time.
"Heureka” (1964): This large sculpture is at “Zürihorn” by the Zürichsee in Zürich, Switzerland.

The Hon – en katedral Art Project

Hon – en katedral means "She, a Cathedral" in Swedish. This was a very special art show made by Jean Tinguely, Niki de Saint-Phalle, and Per Olov Ultvedt. It was shown at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 1966.

The main part of the exhibition was a giant sculpture of a colorful pregnant woman. She was lying on her back with her legs open. This huge sculpture was about 25 to 26 meters (82-85 feet) long. It was also about 6 meters (20 feet) high and 11 meters (36 feet) wide.

The artists built it using scaffolding and chicken wire. Then they covered it with fabric and fiberglass. They painted it with bright, colorful paints. Inside the sculpture, there were fun things to see and do. You could watch Greta Garbo films on a screen. There was also a pond with goldfish and a machine that sold soft drinks. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach played through speakers. Many people loved this exhibit. About 80,000 visitors came to see it between June and September 1966.

Gallery of Works

Tinguely, Machines - Le Transport, early 1960s; made from scrap metal parts.
Tinguely, Gears, 1967; made from old metal parts (part of Le Paradis Fantastique).
Tinguely, Chaos I, 1971–72; made from scrap metal parts.
Tinguely, Large Spiral, 1971–73; made from steel plates.
Tinguely, Heureka, 1972–73; made from scrap metal parts.
Tinguely, a close-up of Heureka, 1972–73; showing old components.
Tinguely, one piece of Carneval Fountain, 1977; located in front of Museum Tinguely, Basel.
Tinguely, title unknown, late 1970s; made from scrap metal parts.
Tinguely, Jo Siffert Fountain, 1984; made from scrap metal parts.