Yves Klein
Born 1928 in Nice, France
Died 1962 in Paris, France
Yves Klein was born on April 28, 1928, in Nice, France. From 1942 to 1946, he studied at the École nationale de la marine marchande and the École nationale des langues orientales vivantes (now Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales) and began practicing judo. At this time, he became friends with artist Arman and singer Claude Pascal and started to paint. Klein composed his first one-note Symphonie monotone (Monotone Symphony) in 1947. From 1948 to 1952, he traveled to Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Japan. In 1955, Klein settled permanently in Paris, where he was given a solo exhibition at the Club des Solitaires. His monochrome paintings were shown at the Galerie Colette Allendy, Paris, in 1956.
In 1957, Klein entered his époque bleue (blue period); this year a double exhibition of his work was held at the Galerie Iris Clert and the Galerie Colette Allendy, both in Paris. In 1958, Klein emptied the Galerie Iris Clert, repainted the walls white, and presented the emptiness of the space as a work of art in the groundbreaking conceptual exhibition The Void (La voide). Also that year, he began using nude models as “living paintbrushes,” covering them in paint and instructing them in the pressing and dragging of their bodies across paper and canvas. These works, called Anthropometries (Anthropométries), recorded gestural impressions and the physical energy of the body. Also in 1957, Klein undertook a project for the decoration of the entrance hall of the new opera house in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany. He signed the first manifesto of the group Nouveaux Réalistes (New Realists, 1960–63), written in 1960 by critic Pierre Restany. In 1960, Klein patented International Klein Blue (IKB), a paint color he created with the help of a chemical retailer. Klein was inspired to develop IKB after searching for a shade of blue that effectively unlocked the endless void of space, eradicating the division of earth and sky. IKB, heavy in ultramarine, used a clear, colorless carrier (unlike traditional binders, which had a dulling effect) to suspend pure, dry pigment, maintaining the pigment’s original intensity.
In 1961, Klein was given a retrospective at the Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, West Germany, and his first U.S. solo exhibition at the Leo Castelli Gallery, New York. He and architect Claude Parent collaborated that year on the design for fountains of water and fire, Fountains of Warsaw (Les fontaines de Varsovie), for the Palais de Chaillot, Paris. In 1962, Klein executed a plaster cast of Arman and took part in Antagonismes 2: L’objet (Antagonisms 2: the object) at the Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris. Shortly before his death he appeared in the film Mondo Cane (1962). Klein was the subject of a posthumous retrospective at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Germany (2004–05), as well as the major retrospective Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers (2010–11), which was presented at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., as well as the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. Klein died on June 6, 1962, in Paris.
Yves Klein, Eponge, c. 1961, Pigment and resin on sponge, 6,5 x 6,5 x 5,5 cm | 2.56 x 2.56 x 2.17 in, # KLEI0001
Exhibitions
ARNDT Singapore at Gillman Barracks
ARNDT takes project space at Gillman Barracks in Singapore
Opening: 18 January 2013, 6 - 9 p.m.
ARNDT Singapore is a project space, viewing room and Asian office for internationally renowned art dealer, Matthias Arndt.
The Singapore premises is situated in the new art destination, Gillman Barracks which is located in the center of Singapore that houses galleries and creative businesses, as well as the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) opening in 2013.
ARNDT Singapore will be staging shows of leading international artists as well as projects and curated shows featuring South East Asian Art. The Singapore office will enable ARNDT to further develop both private and corporate collections and artist management in the Asia-Pacific Region.
ARNDT Singapore in the PRESS
The Straits Times | 14 Jan 2013 | Huang Lijie | Pairing artists from East and West
The first exhibition will feature:
Otto Piene, Heinz Mack and ZERO: Light & Reflection
January 18 to March 31, 2013
ARNDT is pleased to present Otto Piene, Heinz Mack and ZERO: Light & Reflection, the opening show of the new Singapore project space exhibiting works by Otto Piene, Heinz Mack, Lucio Fontana and Yves Klein.
The ZERO Group, celebrated worldwide in museums and collections with planned shows at Grand Palais Paris, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum NYC, and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam from spring 2013 to 2015, has been founded by Otto Piene and Heinz Mack (and Günther Uecker) in 1958, with the goal of revolutionising post-war art, leaving received principles of art behind.
From now, light and movement was the central point of their art. What had begun in Düsseldorf, Germany, would develop in less than a decade into one of the most significant avant-garde movements of the 20th century.
When ZERO disbanded in 1966, the group had collaborated with a wide range of artist – such as Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, Jean Tinguely and Yayoi Kusama. After more than half a century of ZERO, the group is once again becoming a centre of public attention; therefore it was only a matter of time that the three exceptional artists Otto Piene, Heinz Mack and Günther Uecker would equalise with the wider circle of ZERO members on the international art landscape and market.
Please click here to view a complete list of exhibited works.
Opening Hours: Wed – Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
And by appointment: Singapore@arndtberlin.com
Address:
ARNDT Fine Art Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Gillman Barracks, 22, Lock Road, #01-35
Singapore 108939
Email: Singapore@arndtberlin.com
ARNDT Singapore | Installation view of Light & Reflection | Please click on image to see more
ARNDT Singapore | Installation view of Light & Reflection
ARNDT Singapore | Installation view of Light & Reflection | From left to right: Otto Piene, 'Fleur du mal' and 'For Greco'
ARNDT Singapore | Installation view of Light & Reflection
ARNDT Singapore | Installation view of Light & Reflection
