Inspired by what he calls his “shape supermarket” or “cultural pudding”, John Armleder borrows from an eclectic mix of references, a blend of everything that existed and that exists. Picking up influences from different eras, artists or mouvements, the artist does not have any hierarchy. He reinvents what he borrows, takes it out of context and from there, creates a different story. This is where his message lies, in a world where today everything already exists, it is inevitable to reinvent what we know and build new narratives around it. Book lover and formerly librarian and publisher, John Armleder also takes his inspiration from his readings. For this new piece, it is from Ernst Haeckel's work “Art Forms in Nature” he draws inspiration for his design. Born in 1834, Ernst Haeckel was a biologist and artist who spent his life illustrating deep-sea species and other animals. His poetic illustrations are true works of art, showing a side of marine life which was unknown at the time. In his watercolours, the plants appear to be floating, peacefully following the movement of the water. Delicate and airy, they reveal the magic of these little-known species.

Inspired by what he calls his “shape supermarket” or “cultural pudding”, John Armleder borrows from an eclectic mix of references, a blend of everything that existed and that exists. Picking up influences from different eras, artists or mouvements, the artist does not have any hierarchy. He reinvents what he borrows, takes it out of context and from there, creates a different story. This is where his message lies, in a world where today everything already exists, it is inevitable to reinvent what we know and build new narratives around it. Book lover and formerly librarian and publisher, John Armleder also takes his inspiration from his readings. For this new piece, it is from Ernst Haeckel's work “Art Forms in Nature” he draws inspiration for his design. Born in 1834, Ernst Haeckel was a biologist and artist who spent his life illustrating deep-sea species and other animals. His poetic illustrations are true works of art, showing a side of marine life which was unknown at the time. In his watercolours, the plants appear to be floating, peacefully following the movement of the water. Delicate and airy, they reveal the magic of these little-known species.