West, Franz

West, Franz,

1947–2012, Austrian artist, known especially for his eccentric and fanciful sculpture, studied Academy of Applied Arts, Vienna. He first became known in the 1970s for his "adaptives," relatively small abstract sculptures of plaster or paper mâché meant to be worn or manipulated by the viewer. In the 1990s he created his best-known works, large interactive sculptures of painted aluminum, many of which are installed outdoors. Typical is The Ego and the Id (2008), a delightfully odd 20-ft-tall (6-m) two-part construction of looping, colored aluminum—one pink, the other blocks of bright color—with built-in seats that enable viewers to become part of the sculpture. West also produced collages and furniture.