![Michael Hammers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Michael_Hammers.jpg)
Michael Hammers (born 1 August 1965 in
Aachen, West Germany) is a German
artist and
designer
A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans.
In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...
.
Life
Upon passing his school leaving exams, Michael Hammers began his professional career as a blacksmith. He apprenticed in several workshops and studios before becoming the assistant of sculptor Paul Nagel.
Hammers’ greatest interest is applied art in architecture.
After establishing his own workshop in 1994, Michael Hammers began to artistically pursue the fundamental ideas of the
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...
school; breaking down the existing hierarchical structures between various types of formal instruction. Today there are artisans, architects, designers and engineers all working together under the same roof in Michael Hammers Studios.
First and foremost, it is Michael Hammers himself who develops the basic artistic and technical concepts. His materials are metal, stone, wood, glass, light and color.
Starting in 2005, Hammers increasingly turned towards working with audiovisuals. His avandt-garde film ''From the Infinity of the Cosmos'', a
homage to
Maria Callas, premiered at the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...
in New York in 2007.
In 1984 Hammers passed his school leaving exams at the Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium in Aachen, Germany before starting his apprenticeship as a blacksmith. He passed the trade test as a wrought-iron craftsman with honors in 1987. In 1989 he joined the studio and workshop of the sculptor Paul Nagel in Wesseling, Germany.
In 1992 he passed his examination for the master's certificate as a wrought-iron craftsman and a metal designer. 1994 saw the foundation of the workshop Nagel-Hammers and in 1997 Hammers began with classical vocal training. 2005 was the start of his work as a freelance artist and designer, and the introduction of ''Michael Hammers' Artmanship .'' Most recently in 2007 the ''Michael Hammers Studios GmbH'' was established.
In 2008 Michael Hammers was appointed as a cultural ambassador to the Senate of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade of Germany (BWA).
In 2010 the plenum of the Guild of Metalworkers Rhine-Erft, Germany appoints unanimously Michael Hammers honorary member.
Works
*1996 "Gitterwerk", lattice work at the south entrance of the
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral (german: Kölner Dom, officially ', English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese o ...
, designed by Paul Nagel, Cologne
*1996 "Golgotha Kreuz", Golgotha Crucifix, designed by Paul Nagel,
Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem
*2000 "The Millennium Cross of Light", designed by Stefano Ricci, Rome
*2001 "The World’s Largest Crystal Octahedron",
Gemological Institute of America
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and se ...
(GIA), San Diego
*2002 "Northern Lights",
Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Wattens, Austria
*2004 "The
Swarovski Star",
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
Christmas Tree, New York
*2005 "Voyage", designed by
Yves Béhar
Yves Béhar (born 1967) is a Swiss-born American designer, entrepreneur, and educator. He is the founder and principal designer of Fuseproject, an industrial design and brand development firm. Béhar is also co-founder and Chief Creative Off ...
,
Swarovski Crystal Palace, Milan, Italy
*2005 "Joie", Crystal Waterfall, Top of The Rock,
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
, New York
*2005 "Radiance", Crystal Geode, Top of The Rock,
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
, New York
*2006 "Goldene Wand", Golden Wall at Festival Hall, Salzburg, Austria
*2006 "
Swarovski Gallery",
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
, New York
*2007 "Infinity of the Cosmos", avant-garde film on the life of
Maria Callas,
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...
House, New York
*2008 "Electric Fountain", designed by Tim Noble and
Sue Webster,
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, span th ...
, New York
*2009 "Crystal Wall Beijing", World Financial Center,
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
*2009 "
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree", "The
Swarovski Star", lighting production, New York
*2010 "City Museum Bruck ", exhibition concept and design, Bruck an der Mur, Austria
Image:Electric-Fountain.ogg, Electric Fountain, Rockefeller Plaza, NYC
Image:Goldene_Wand.jpg, Golden Wall at Festival Hall, Salzburg, Austria
Image:JOIE-01.JPG, Joie, crystal waterfall, Rockefeller Center
Image:Golgothakreuz.jpg, Golgotha Crucifix, Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem
Image:Crystal Geode.jpg, Geode, crystal wall, Rockefeller Center
Image:Schmiededetail.jpg, "Gitterwerk", lattice work at the Cologne Cathedral
References
official website: www.michaelhammers.co
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammers, Michael
1965 births
Living people
German artists
Articles containing video clips