650A Exodus Into Space - Friedensreich Hundertwasser

A 1971 lithograph by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, featuring his signature organic forms and symbolic, mask-like figures set against a cosmic backdrop.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser in Vienna, was a painter, architect, and environmental activist. His work is characterised by a rejection of the straight line, which he famously described as godless and immoral. Instead, he favoured organic forms, spiral motifs, and a highly personal, symbolic vocabulary that often merged human figures with architectural or cosmic elements.

650A Exodus Into Space, created in 1971, is a lithograph that demonstrates his fascination with the intersection of humanity and the environment. The composition features two distinct, mask-like faces rendered in a flattened, graphic style. These figures are integrated into a structure that resembles both a skyscraper and a celestial vessel. The deep blue background suggests the void of space, while the foreground contains bright, lime-green foliage and red organic shapes that contrast with the rigid, grid-like windows of the central tower.

Hundertwasser often incorporated Japanese woodblock printing techniques into his lithographic process, which is evident here in the precise layering of colours and the inclusion of his personal seals. The work includes a margin containing technical information, colour swatches, and edition numbering, a common practice for the artist who viewed the entire print, including the border, as a unified aesthetic object. The imagery reflects his broader philosophy regarding the alienation of modern urban life and the desire for a return to a more natural, human-centric existence. By placing these figures in a state of exodus, he invites the viewer to consider the displacement of the individual within the modern technological world. The work remains a primary example of his ability to combine ecological concerns with a unique, dreamlike visual language.