Not Bott

The artist Not Bott was born in Valchava in 1927 and lived in Puschlav from 1955 until his death in 1998. Already in 1977 could Bott exhibit in the “Heilbad” spa of St. Moritz and impress with his creations using wood as his main medium. The writer Wolfgang Hildesheimer reported in 1968 that Bott “realizes an idea that is non-representational” and affirmed how his work brings wood to life – a craft that both surprises and convinces. The artist combined materials, movement and the power of nature to create skilful works that have been successfully shown internationally to great acclaim.

Bott’s sculptures are usually made from a single piece of wood. His preferred material was initially rootstocks, and subsequently also trunks, mostly from pine trees that originated from the Puschlav or the Engadin. The winter exhibition 2022 / 2023 at the Central Art Gallery shows mostly sculptures presented publicly for the first time.