Pflanze

Most of Daniel Bucur's works are figurative sculptures, making this exception confirm the rule.

"Der Weg" is the title, and it refers to the journey of life. Like a serpent, it winds gently through the picture plane diagonally. The connection to the environment is established through a similarly elevated surface structure, with the upper section above the path oriented vertically and the lower section below it oriented horizontally. Tension is created through the dramatic color scheme. The surroundings are orange, while life itself, in its most primal form, is stained red. Knots and cracks are present, but they don't appear disruptive or foreign; they are seamlessly incorporated into the abstract whole by the artist's hand.

You can truly feel the energy with which life carves its path. It advances, with the beginning and end out of sight. It is not a straight path; it is intertwined with the surface and communicates with its surroundings.

Everything appears natural. We contemplate the artwork, feel invigorated, and continue our journey inspired.

Will love save the world, or is it beauty, as Fyodor Dostoevsky writes in the novel "The Idiot"? We don't know for sure. But one thing is certain: the beauty that Daniel Bucur extracts from wood is fascinating.

In ancient Greece, the highest category of beauty was called "kalos kagathos," which translates to "beautiful and good." Beauty and truth, the exterior and interior, are interconnected. In the truly beautiful, truth and goodness always bloom. True beauty always contains more than itself; it has something transcendent.

"Kiss on top" is one of our favorite figures: pure emotion. This sensual sculpture was created with a lot of finesse and craftsmanship. Daniel Bucur reveals that behind this "kiss" was originally a worthless, partially decayed piece of walnut wood from the Leitha Mountains in Burgenland, Austria. The mouth was created purely by chance at the spot where a decayed branch protruded from the wood. The figure gains additional tension through the different surface treatment methods. It represents a connection of the imperfect with the perfect.

When looking at this sculpture, one can let their imagination run wild. Daniel Bucur has worked with a massive piece of walnut wood. The basic form, in the shape of a branch fork, was already present. However, the artist proceeded in three steps. Initially, he approached the new form with a chainsaw, then continued to work the wood with a grinder. In the end, intricate carving gave the surface a fine texture. The block is broken on the rear side, with the worked surface facing the viewer.

Through the origin of the material, the artist once again establishes a connection to his chosen home in Burgenland, Gols. The block-shaped base made of porous sandstone also comes from the vicinity of Gols, specifically from the Römersteinbruch in St. Margarethen. The light, creamy color provides a beautiful contrast to the dark brown of the wood.

What is being depicted here? It could be the open mouth of a lizard, or a massive fossilized bone, perhaps from the backbone of a dinosaur?