Yves Klein

1928 - 1962

                      

“Art gives existence to that, which in its state of nature, has remained at the stage of intention.” - Goethe

 

Among the most influential artists of our time, Yves Klein (1928-1962) has left his indelible mark on art history through his patented color blue – International Klein Blue (IKB).  This color at its purest state translates the limitless boundaries of space and therefore of our own existence and sensibility.

 

The artist transgressed all conventional methods associated with painting by creating his famous monochrome canvases and replacing the painter’s ultimate tool—the brush—with alternatives such as nude models dripped in IKB paint (Anthropométrie series) or even flame torches (Fire paintings).

 

Considering himself a direct descendant of the grand masters of classical art, believing that one day the world would be completely covered in IKB, Yves Klein painted blue the most symbolic icons of classical art: Michelangelo’s Slave, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, and The Venus of Alexandria, thus appropriating them as his own masterpieces.

 

Since 1961, Yves Klein’s work has been exhibited around the world, with over 50 major retrospectives including at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Gallery in London, the National Gallery in Berlin and others.

 

His legacy lives on today within the work of the younger generation of artists who consider him as the ultimate creator both universal and intemporal.