Federico Assler is a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

known for his public monuments. He received Chile's National Prize for Plastic Arts in 2009.

Biography

In 1954, he enrolled in the School of Architecture at the

Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso () (PUCV), also known as ''Universidad Católica de Valparaíso'' (UCV), is one of six Catholic universities in Chile and one of the two pontifical universities in the country, along with th ...

, where he stayed for two years; later, he would join the School of Fine Arts in

Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune on Zona Central, Chile, central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located withi ...

. His initial works were connected to painting, but his interest in representing volume led him towards sculpture. Alongside Raúl Valdivieso, Sergio Mallol, Sergio Castillo Mandiola, and others, he became part of the so-called Generation of Fifty, a group of sculptors known for their experimentation with new techniques and materials. He also was a member of the ''Rectángulo Group''. Between 1964 and 1968, he served as the Executive Secretary of the Museum of Contemporary Art at the

University of Chile The University of Chile () is a public university, public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.

, later assuming the role of Director. In 1973, he traveled to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, where he resided for ten years. During this time, he began creating sculptures in public spaces, with works placed in

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

. After returning to Chile, he became a member of the Organization of Sculptors in 1989. The group would later transform into the Society of Sculptors of Chile in 1995, with Assler being appointed as its director. On August 24, 2009, Assler was awarded the National Prize for Visual Arts in Chile. Moreover, he has also been honored with the Altazor Prize for National Arts three times: in 2004, 2005, and 2010.

Artwork

In his early pieces, Assler created cut-out templates on particleboard, which, when repeated with gradual enlargements and glued together, formed volumes with a stepped texture and various shapes. However, his desire for sculptures to relate to humans and nature in outdoor settings led him to use concrete in his works. This material, known for its greater durability, predominates in his artistic career. To achieve this, he creates molds from expanded polystyrene, commonly referred to as "plumavit" or "aislapol" in Chile, into which he later pours the concrete mixture. His work is primarily inspired by the human figure and the column as a symbol of human presence. Often appearing totemic, they frequently emerge from the ground, without a pedestal, as a manifestation of the earth. Assler has described himself as a builder rather than a sculptor.

Gallery

File:Assler, Federico - Conjunto escultorico.jpg, ''Conjunto escultórico'' in Parque de las Esculturas, Santiago. File:Assler, Federico - Patata -20171104 fRF04.jpg, ''Patata'' in

Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts The Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts ( or ), located in Santiago, Chile, is one of the major centers for Chilean art and for broader South American art. Established in 1880 (making it the oldest in South America), the organization is manage ...

File:Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2021 081.jpg, Sculpture in ''I Exposición Internacional de Escultura en la Calle'', Spain File:Relieve monumental, obra de Federico Assler.jpg, ''Relieve monumental'', public monument at Clínica Santa María in Santiago.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Assler, Federico 1929 births 20th-century Chilean male artists Artists from Santiago, Chile Chilean sculptors University of Chile alumni Living people