Rudolf Steiner - Alchemy of the everyday

Rudolf Steiner was one of the most significant reform figures of the twentieth century. He founded the Waldorf school movement, gave vital impulses to alternative agriculture and medicine, and also left behind a comprehensive oeuvre as an architect, designer and artist. Steiner's most important work of architecture, the Goetheanum (1924-1928) in Dornach, Switzerland, is a key work of early modern architecture—never before had concrete been utilized in such a sculptural way on such a large scale. As an artist, Steiner influenced many people, including Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Joseph Beuys. Even today, prominent artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Tony Cragg draw inspiration from his work. The book “Rudolf Steiner – Alchemy of the Everyday” provides the first comprehensive overview of Steiner's creative work, while also examining his historic roots and his ongoing influence. Several essays by respected authors approach the phenomenon of Steiner from a variety of perspectives, examining topics such as the period in which his work evolved, the way that Steiner combined natural and spiritual science, his work in architecture, design and stage performance, and his influence on tendencies in present-day art. The essays are supplemented by an extensive catalogue section which presents Steiner's major works and compares them to those of important contemporaries and current artists. An illustrated biography completes the book, which represents the first effort to introduce an important figure of the twentieth century to a wide public.