Monday, November 22, 2010

Why, Yves Klein why?

Yves Klein
"California"
1961
Dry pigment, synthetic resin on gauze on wood

Honestly, I don't quite understand why Yves Klein has rooms dedicated to his art at the Walker. All of his pieces looked the same with a few that had added embellishments. Klein apparently loved this color of blue because it was everywhere. I even got into trouble for leaning to close to examine one of the pieces. 

What I saw initially from this piece was a big blue rectangle, that was very textured, if it were to ever be touched. It reminds me of sand that has been dyed, and it sort of looks like the color of the ocean. It raises a feeling of calmness, because by staring at it for a long period of time you become immersed in a sea of blue pigment, making you blind. My questions are "Why blue?" and "Why the color blue for so many pieces that Klein made?" Considering that the title of this piece is "California" I start to assume Klein meant to represent the beach or ocean in the state of California. Maybe the texture has to do with the sand at the beach, and the vibrant color is meant to represent the water.



2nd Part:

       In 1955 Klein exhibited monochromatic surfaces of all different colors. He was attempting to show color. Klein, after the exhibitions decided to just paint with blue. He read Gaston Bachelard's "Air and Dreams" So why blue? It has no dimensions, it is beyond dimensions whereas other colors are not. All colors arouse specific feelings like red = heat and blue = sky, sea. Klein's friends had an influence on his art and when he would exhibit it.
      Klein also worked with chemist to discover the blue he was so obsessed with. While creating it they had to make sure the intensity was not lost when it was still a pigment. He discovered in Eastern religion blue was the color of infinity. He also had other ways of making his paintings with wind, fire, and air. Yves Klein died of a heart attack when he was just 34. I believe that after all the thought and work that Klein put into his art, I believe now that it should be called "art." 

1 comment:

  1. group responce
    - why is there a WHOLE ROOM - dedicated to his work?
    - - did you see the video
    - commentary on color: 1) can you invent a pigment: yes? sythetic ones - there are some colors that don't exist in the real world?
    mixing.
    - is it art to make a pigment?
    - this has ben done? why do it again?
    - commentary on colors: who did it first


    what we know
    - the artist "Invented" this prigment. Ultra blue - resinates






    what we don't know
    - what the titles mean
    - the history of his work
    - what is this show about (watch the video)
    - Fire paintings: what are these? How do they compares
    - does he have an intrest in alchemy
    - Homoculus
    - Greenberg baby????

    - modernism
    - art is about materials
    -no content.... etc etc

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