Great Art: Yves Klein’s Blue Paintings of 1959-60

OK, I’ll post one more total abstract visual artists and some of his painting today before I get a little more realistic, maybe? So today I’ve got some totally blue paintings which is pretty abstract so to define or defining abstract as totally unrealistic in anyway or shape or form, which might be impossible anyway but let’s not got down that rabbit hole right now. Monochrome would be a better way to describe Klein, he loved used it himself so monochrome is art talk or BS for just one colored artwork. I might be wrong again but Yves could be one of the first, if not the very first to do artworks this way. Most likely wins my fave minimalism artist and paintings, yet another way to describe his work. Once again they’re way more works included sculptures and even performance art from these years and I’ve only only picked out four today. So off course I’ve just going to have to feature more of his work again at a later date!

Yves Klein was born in Nice, France 1928 and died in Cannes 1962. So here in this little kind-of intro post we are only two years away from his death. I wonder or who knows what he would have done if he had more time? The first showing of his artwork of a much smaller size but in his abstract, monochrome, minimalism style was in Ireland 1950 at a private showing but wasn’t until he came back from Japan, returning home to Paris in late 1954 that he focus on his artworks. Klein was very prolific in those eight years, before passing away after having three heart-attacks while at the Cannes Film Festival.

Now I should explain the works below and for that matter all of Yves artworks, he mixed his own color from scratch. He named it International Klein Blue (IKB) now from Wikipedia: “The uniqueness of IKB does not derive from the ultramarine pigment, but rather from the matte, synthetic resin binder in which the color is suspended, and which allows the pigment to maintain as much of its original qualities and intensity of color as possible.” Citation needed but does that make sense to anyone reading this? Does anyone care? That would be a good question? Are you going out to make your own after reading this? I should say as well Klein’s often thicken and also used textured application of paint to canvas/boards. My art book on him even counts it as pigment and synthetic resin on the canvas/boards. Nope, to anyone asking they’re rocks somehow glued to the last one below but they’re sponges socked in his hand-made paint. Yeah, he likes/loves numbering all his works and abbreviating all artworks titles too so that last painting below RE is a sponge relief. I think I should shut-up now, if you don’t get it you don’t get it and I can’t explain everything to you but I do hope you do dig them?

IKB 79, 1959

IKB 190, 1959

IKB 45, 1960

RE 20 (Requiem), 1960

The song today might as well be entitled International Klein Blue too! In 1982 Danish band Kliché released this mellow instrumental track named after it and him.

Cheers 🙂