Yves Klein: Abstract Artist

For my blog post I chose to tell y'all about Yves Klein. 

He was born on April 28, 1928, in Nice, France. He died in 1962. His parents were artists, his mother was in the Art Informel movement and his father painted figures and landscapes. Klein received no formal artistic training. His family lived in Paris between 1930 and 1939, during the summer he stayed with his aunt, who gave him a pragmatic outlook unlike his parents who gave him a free spirited attitude. These views combined led him to restrict color in his early paintings.

Leap into the Void

He stated when he made this leap into the void, "to paint space, I must be in position. I must be in space."  This was said during the time Russia and the U.S. were sending astronauts to space.

Untitled Fire Painting

These paintings were part of Klein's exploration of living materials. He found Fire, he considered fire "the universal principle of expression". He used a gas gun as his new "brush" to "paint" with.

Untitled Blue Monochrome

This Blue color is Klein's own creation an ultramarine blue called International Klein Blue (IKB)
The feeling of freedom, it has the quality of immaterial spirituality. You get lost in this sea blue, this sky blue, a void is what I believe Klein was trying to create.

Untitled Yellow and Pink Monochrome

Another one of his Void works. He wanted people to leave the exhibitions in a void, to see art in a new way. His lesson in this is "about a different way of being together."


What are some major themes that your subject addresses?


Yves Klein addressed Abstract paintings, dominated the 1950s and had the "notion that an artists could communicate with the viewer." Nouveau(New) Realisme, things taken from real life. He has an "eccentric blend of mystical and materialist attitudes."


What about your subject is particularly "French"?


He was associated with the Parisian Nouveau Realime movement supported by the French critic Pierre Restany. He formed an over the top range of avant-garde work. which is any creative group active in the application of new concepts and techniques.


How has your subject influenced a particular cultural movement?

He was "the most influential, prominent and controversial French artist to emerge in the 1950s." He is remembered by his use of his only color, International Klein Blue. He attacked many of the ideas that underpinned the abstract paintings. He is compared to many artist like Marcel Duchamp or Kazimir Malevich. He is very influential for artists today.






Link:http://artblart.com/tag/yves-klein-untitled-yellow-and-pink-monochrome/
Link:http://www.theartstory.org/artist-klein-yves.htm
Link: http://www.zonezero.com/magazine/zonacritica/saltaralvacio/index.html
Link to Gallery: http://arttattler.com/archiveyvesklein.html