Ivan Luginbühl has sounded out gravity in his iron sculptures

Galerie Reichlin in Zug is showing an extensive retrospective of the sculptor Iwan Luginbühl – with new iron and fabric combinations.

It is always interesting to focus on the development of an artist. This is offered by Galerie Reichlin in Zug, where a cross-section of Iwan Luginbühl's work can currently be seen. The large, white Golem from 1988 is already impressive at the entrance, framed by small mythical creatures. The ‘golem’ consists of around 20 clay pieces. "We could only burn small parts in our oven. It took a lot of firing for the character, and I just hoped it wouldn't 'chase it away'," recalls the 59-year-old.

The small painted clay figures such as dragons, shark’s teeth, double heads or Medusas are the first examples of his talent. "I started with clay at the age of 17, inspired by my mother, who was a ceramist. I’ve supplemented her vases or drawings with fantastic figures." His mother was amused and his father, the well-known Bernese ironplatist Bernhard Luginbühl, motivated him to switch to iron. From 1990, the first monsters made of sheet metal or rusty steel were created. Luginbühl emphasizes that he was supported by his parents and his godfather Jean Tinguely. "But it was difficult for me to develop my own style at the time."

The iron sculptor Iwan Luginbühl exhibits his metal "children" in Zug.
The combination with fabric and other material is new in Luginbühl's oeuvre      Photos: Matthias Jurt

The first monsters or animals couldn’t yet move. "It took me a long time to find my system, without a motor, but only with electromagnets and a little power. The big challenge is to sound out gravity, so that even the large sculptures always remain in balance, even when in motion," explains Luginbühl, whereby his training as an electrician helped him with the technology. The exhibition features many moving sculptures of all sizes. If the iron parts of the older works still have angular shapes, rounder ones followed later. Iwan Luginbühl lets them rust because of the colour, and the parts are finally waxed so that they have a smooth surface. "And the name comes last," says the artist.

Connection with new material
New sculptures were created in the corona period that combined iron with fabric for the first time: bones and skulls move towards you on the machines. They are not real bones, however, but artfully sewn fabric parts that are reminiscent of bones in colour.

"For a long time, I was looking for a lightweight material to complement iron,"

says Luginbühl. The brilliant idea came from Nathalie Verdon from Burgdorf, who reworked the shapes of the bones with fabric.

For Luginbühl, the processing of the fabric parts on the iron sculpture was a tricky job, "because of my black hands". Nevertheless, it appeals to him to continue to try to combine the iron with new materials. "I have a lot of ideas in my head, but the aesthetics of the prototype have to be right." Iwan Luginbühl is proud that he can now show his iron "children" in Zug. In addition to the sculpture park in Mötschwil, I want to create more for myself again. And I think it's nice that I've been able to make a living from art for over 30 years."

The exhibition «Isch scho guet!» by Iwan Luginbühl, can be seen at the Galerie Reichlin, Zug until 20 August.