Yves Klein

French, 1928 - 1962

Yves Klein was a French artist and an crucial figure in post-war European art and in the history of arts. Klein was a pioneer in the development of performance art, and is seen as an inspiration to and as a forerunner of minimal art. Despite being a son of of artist parents, he had never receiveda education in arts. Yet, this did not stop him from becoming one of the most recognisable and innovative artists of the 20th century.

Although Klein had painted monochromes as early as 1949, and held the first private exhibition of this work in 1950. Among others, he was a leading member of the French artistic movement of Nouveau réalisme founded in 1960. His works are mostly famous for developing and using of very specific ultramarine colour which was first mixed by the artist in the late 1950's.Soon he started using the International Klein Blue (IKB)as the central component of a piece (the color effectively becoming the art). Shortly International Klein Blue (IKB) was registered and patented, that's why the works of Yves Klein remian so unique and valuable on current art market.

Discover more works of Yves Klein (Tate)

Yves Klein, Monochrome und Feuer, 1961

Yves Klein, Monochrome und Feuer, 1961

screen prints on cardboard in Yves Klein blue and pink, gold leaf
32 x 23.5 cm each of three
multiple

Artworks

Yves Klein, Monochrome und Feuer, 1961

Yves Klein, Monochrome und Feuer, 1961

screen prints on cardboard in Yves Klein blue and pink, gold leaf
32 x 23.5 cm each of three
multiple

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