Thames & Hudson Stefan Szczesny: Colourful, life-affirming sails for sustainability

Born in Munich in 1951, the painter, sculptor and photographer was one of the German representatives and protagonists of the Neue Wilden in the 1980s, alongside Baselitz, Lüpertz, Dokoupil and Penck. He has since made a name for himself internationally with his neo-expressive painting. The main features typical of Neo-Expressionism, as they appear in Szczesny's works to this day, are often large-format pictures with a gestural, often "wild? painting style made of violent, sweeping brushstrokes. Targeted formlessness and strong colours create an expressive-abstract painting, mixed with representational elements. It is about making the individual, subjective feeling visible - an emotional as well as sensual painting in which the emotional life of the artist is expressed. Szczesny's works of art are determined by colourful, life-affirming impressions, so his imagery reflects a Mediterranean climate, which is not surprising, as the multi-award-winning artist lives and works in Saint-Tropez. This book is focused on Szczesny's commission by the UNESCO to design works representing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which the United Nations have set for themselves and which the world community should implement by 2030. Szczesny's Sailing#Art4GlobalGoals artistic project is aimed at visualizing these Global Goals to reach people directly. The painted sails of seventeen boats of the Culture regatta carry the message of peace, justice, and the preservation of our livelihoods out into the world.