Yves Klein: Works, Writings, Interviews

by Klaus Ottmann, Yves Klein (Artist)

The career of French artist Yves Klein lasted just eight years (from 1954 to 1962), but in that short span he took Europe by storm. Working in Paris at the height of geometric abstraction and Art Informel, in an intellectual climate dominated by Existentialism, Klein presaged many developments in the postwar avant garde: performance art, Minimalism and Conceptualism (one of his mottoes pronounced, "For color! Against the line and drawing!"). As this volume demonstrates, Klein wrote prolifically, often in the form of manifestos or more ironic texts written to accompany his proto-Conceptual installations. Though Klein is best known for a series of monochromes in his trademark shade, International Klein Blue, his first public showing was of the 1954 artist's book Yves: Peintures, which featured a series of monochromes created in response to cities where he had lived, as a play on the traditional art exhibition catalogue. The medium of the book is consequently an ideal place in which to encounter his art and thought.

Genres: Art

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yves Klein is an artist that I'd only studied peripherally. I knew of him, of course. I don't know why I hadn't studied his work in due attention before, Perhaps, I considered his work to be too theatrical or self centered. His work was theatrical and self centered obviously, but not in the superficial terms that I'd assumed.

I arrived here via some research into the art groups Nul and Zero. Klein was an active figure in a number of Nul presentations.

This book features two of Klein's writings: "The Monochrome Adventure: The Monochrome Epic" and "Dialogue with Myself"
In addition, Klaus Ottoman offers a brief biography of Klein in the introductory essay. The book includes many color plates of Klein's work including full spreads of "Dumanche" the mock newspaper Klein printed (which deputed the "Leap into the Void" photo).

After reading this book, I am not ashamed to say that I am a Klein convert.

His writings are on the surface bombastic manifestos but more often revelatory in their depth. I found many passages to be laugh out loud -- HAH! -- funny. Such wit! Spiritualist and adventurer. Independent yet superbly collaborative.

Some surprising discoveries include his devout Catholicism infused with Rosicrucianism. One would assume that his interest in Judo and Eastern philosophy might have influenced his work more directly. However, it seems that his interest in Judo was more the athleticism and discipline. His "void" wasn't necessarily an extension of Taoism, but rather an intense immersion into the realm of the infinite by way of color. Another observation is that his work, while ephemeral and temporal in many ways, was bound to the body and material, but I might argue that this binding wasn't so much a burden as it was a communion.