Iris, 1990

Azul Bahia granite sculpture

Mass: 54 x 20 x 6 cm

Besides black granite and Carrara marble, Santini always used other, special stones. The 1980s therefore saw not only a new phase in the sculptor's oeuvre, which lasted until the 1990s, but also the use of new stones, such as Azul Bahia.

The decisive factor for this new orientation in Santini's work and creative process was his acquaintance with the artist Max Bill. Santini's admiration for Max Bill as a person as well as for his work, which ranges from graphic to painterly works and from design to architecture. The relationship between the two artists that resulted from this meeting left its mark on Santini and is also reflected in his work. In his sculptures, Santini incorporated Max Bill's fundamental philosophical conception of design and architecture, which can be seen in his abstract, yet essentialist and thus also linear, approach to form. The conviction of an undeniable relationship between the world and art, as well as the inherent possibility of human beings to coordinate emotional values in such a way that what we understand as art is created, united the two artists.