Yves Klein
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Yves Klein was born April 28, 1928, in Nice. From 1942 to 1946, he studied
at the Ecole Nationale de la Marine Marchande and the Ecole Nationale des Langues
Orientales and began practicing judo. At this time, he became friends with Arman
Fernandez and Claude Pascal and started to paint. Klein composed his first Symphonie
monoton in 1947. During the years 1948 to 1952, he traveled to Italy, Great
Britain, 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.
The artist entered his blue period in 1957; 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, he began using nude models as living paintbrushes.
Also in that year, he undertook a project for the decoration of the entrance
hall of the new opera house in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The first manifesto of
the group Nouveaux Réalistes was written in 1960 by Pierre Restany and
signed by Arman, Klein, Daniel Spoerri, Jean Tinguely, and others. In 1961,
Klein was given a retrospective at the Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, Germany,
and his first solo exhibition in the United States at the Leo Castelli Gallery,
New York. He and architect Claude Parent collaborated that year on the design
for fountains of water and fire, Les Fontaines de Varsovie, for the Palais de
Chaillot, Paris. In 1962, Klein executed a plaster cast of Arman and took part
in the exhibition Antagonismes 2: LObjet at the Musée des Arts
Décoratifs, Paris. Shortly before his death he appeared in the film Mondo
Cane (1962). Klein died suddenly on June 6, 1962, in Paris.
For buying and selling original work please contact the
gallery.
For any questions regarding authenticity or certification, please contact:
www.yvesklein.org