Page 53 - Studio International - April 1974

Germany aggressiveness were somewhat Invented the 'Symphonie Monoton' Pictorial Sensibility' being exchanged.
lost in the process. The immaculate —'one broad continuous sound Klein gave clients a certificate of
Important gaps in the staffing of dominated. Dieter Honisch, one- followed by an equally broad extended possession of a mental Zone in
German Kunstvereine have now been time manager of the silence, endowed with a limitless exchange for gold: the deal was only
filled. The new head of the Wurttembergische Kunstverein and dimension.' (1947) completed when the certificate was
Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden is now with the Folkwang Museum in Exhibition, in Milan, of 11 deep burned and half the gold scattered on
Hans Albert Peters, born in 1939, who Essen, was in Stuttgart for the ultramarine-blue paintings of the same the Seine. The first Zone was
was previously with the Wallraf- opening of this show, and he told dimension which became known as exchanged in 1959.
Richartz Museum in Cologne. He me of several foreign contacts he I KB's (International Klein Blue). The
intends to put Baden-Baden's has made recently, by virtue of which works were sold for varying prices
unique situation as a world- the Folkwang Museum can show according to the different painterly
renowned spa to use on behalf of his present-day German art in Eastern feelings with which they were
exhibition plans—which means he Europe. In return the German executed. 'I did not like the nothing,
wants to attract visitors from nearby public can learn of new artistic and it is thus that I met the empty, the
Switzerland and from France. The impulses in Poland and Hungary. deep empty, the depth of blue.' (1957)
Badische Kunstverein in Honisch, as active as ever, also told
Karlsruhe has found a new chief in me of the founding of a Video Double show in Paris : postcard
Michael Schwarz. Born in 1940 and Corporation, in which Switzerland, with I KB on one side and the
coming from the Germanisches Holland, Germany and Denmark are invitation on the other with I KB
National-Museum in Nuremberg, so far taking part. It aims to achieve postage stamp. At Iris Clert's Klein
he intends above all to stand up for educational and instructional goals made his first aerostatic sculpture of
realistic tendencies in present-day by means of video, and will certainly 1001 blue balloons released into the
art. Frank Whitford was in the running have an important contribution to sky. Inside were paintings and a tape
for this post until very recently. The make in the future. of Pierre Henry's version of the (Above) Yves Klein conducting the
only post remaining unfilled is that More than sixty German sculptors 'Symphonie Monoton'. At Collette painting of an Anthropometrie whilst
of head of the Kestner- recently showed work in Augsburg, Allendy's were shown Blue Screens, an orchestra plays the Symphonie
Gesellschaft in Hanover. Approaches for the tenth anniversary of the Tapestries, Blue Rain, Sponge Monoton, 'Due to the fact that I have
made to well-known younger Kunstverein there. The exhibition, Sculptures and Pigment Pur was painted with living brushes — in other
German art-historians were 'German Sculptors of Today', could scattered on the floor. Upstairs he words, the nude body of live models
rejected, and so Hanover will have to not, however, fulfil the expectations showed The Surfaces and Volumes smothered in paint. These living
carry on waiting — which will it aroused. Because the artists had to of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility brushes are under the constant
certainly not be helpful to the work pay half the transport costs (an 'empty room') and in the garden direction of my command, such as
of the old and honoured Kestner- themselves, many important One Minute Fire Paintings—a blue " ... a little to the right: over to the
Gesellschaft. sculptors declined to take part as a panel set with 16 Bengal Lights. left now: to the right again, etc."
Things are now getting under way matter of course. Over-all, the canon (1957) By maintaining myself at a definite
with the 'Freie Hochschule' founded of classical modernity predominated, and obligatory distance from the
The Void at Iris Clert's, Paris.
by Joseph Beuys in Düsseldorf. something which naturally detracted Outside, the window was painted painting, lam able to resolve the
Founder-director Beuys, dismissed a great deal from the expected inner blue, inside the gallery was painted problem of detachment. . . .' (1960)
by the Düsseldorf Akademie on tension of the occasion. white. Before the opening, Klein
account of the occupation of the The viewer is subjected to great occupied the gallery, mentally
Secretariat Building, is busy with tension in the Düsseldorf creating works of art, some of which
a 'Freie Hochschule' club and the Kunsthalle, if he lingers long among were sold for gold at about £200 each.
large following of young people who Reiner Ruthenbeck's objects. This At the opening two Republican
feel attracted to this experiment. artist, who used to heap up paper and
guards stood either side of the blue
Now that the city of Düsseldorf has ashes in order to visualize silence, canopy at the entrance. 3000 people
provided a free warehouse, Beuys who recalled his grandfather's cosy came and Klein announced 'The
can realize his fascinating, sometimes workshop by exhibiting rubber rings
Blue Revolution—canvas is the entire
grotesque, ideas which ran counter hanging on nails, gives an surface of France. (1958)
to those of the old-style academy. impression of extreme naivety in
This new school — at which the Düsseldorf too. Through his objects Project with Tinguely :
writer Heinrich Boll is to teach he wants to protest against normal 'Colonisation par le Blue'. Plan to
'literality'— is concerned with the behaviour and gently (of course) to turn all the paintings blue at the
comprehensive aesthetic education of lead the viewer to insights that are Salon des Réalités Nouvelles using an
man, and the discovery of unbelievably simple. Thus electric torch with a blue beam. (1958)
creativity in everyone; hence there Ruthenbeck hung four different Klein participated 'immaterially' in a
is no entrance exam and there are no twisted metal plates of equal size on group show in Antwerp. He recited
teachers appointed for their the wall, pointing to the principle Bachelard in the space reserved for
lifetimes. The 'Freie Hochschule' will of twisting and the possibilities of his painting : 'First there is nothing,
begin on 1 April, and the annual twisting similar formats. One example next there is a depth of nothingness,
running costs are estimated at is enough. The value of this work is as then a profundity of blue.' (1959) (Above) COS 20 one of Klein's
around a million Deutschmarks. slight as Reiner Ruthenbeck is a nice Cosmogenies (Atmospheric
Where this money is to come from is fellow.
Conditions). 'I dash out to the banks
still unknown, though, of course, (Translated from the German by John
Wheelwright) of the river and find myself amongst
state subsidies are hoped for.
the rushes and reeds. I grind some
However even at this early stage pigment over all this and the wind
one can say that this unusual Klein God makes their slender stalks bend and
scholastic experiment stands or falls
apply themselves with precision and
by the personality of Joseph Beuys, (The Yves Klein and Piero
delicacy on to my canvas, which I
which I feel is something that Manzoni exhibitions are at the Tate
thus offer to quivering nature. I
involves its own particular dangers. Gallery, London, 20 March — 5 May.)
obtain a vegetal mark. Then it starts
The sculptor Thomas Lenk held
to rain; a fine spring rain:1 expose my
a noteworthy exhibition at the Arman Fernandez, Claude Pascal and
canvas to the rain ... and I have a
Wurttembergische Kunstverein Yves Klein decided to divide the
mark of the rain!— a mark of an
during March. The most important world between them and Klein chose
atmospheric event.'
works of the last ten years were the sky with its dimension of infinity.
grouped into an environment in 'That day, as I lay on the beach at '... a trip from Paris to Nice might
which space became the concept Nice, I began to hate the birds which have been a waste of time had I not
of an exhibition. The aesthetic occasionally flew in my pure, spent it profitably by recording the
effect of this was startling. but the unclouded blue sky, because they wind.I placed a canvas, freshly
social dimension of Lenk's layer tried to bore holes in my greatest coated with paint upon the roof of my
sculptures and their inner and more beautiful work. '(1946) white Citroën.As I zoomed down