Book, 2022, Denys Riout, Rotraut Klein-Moquay, Catherine Francblin, Didier Semin
Yves Klein Intime
Famous for his monochromes and for the famous ultramarine blue that he patented (International Klein Blue), Yves Klein (1928-1962) is undoubtedly one of the protagonists of the art of the second half of the 20th century. A skilled judoka and organizer of "action-spectacles", Yves Klein transformed his models into "living paintbrushes", produced "Paintings of Fire", imagined immaterial works and participated in his own way in the conquest of space. He also wrote a lot and his activity is documented by photographs, films and sound recordings. Thus the artist has indeed constructed his own myth, the creation of his work being one with the creation of himself.
By comparing this public account with the more personal and intimate dimension of his work, this book explores the links between the artist's experience and his creations. Over the course of the book, we are invited among Yves Klein's intimates - his parents, painters, his models and collaborators, his circle of friends with whom he exchanged and created - to closely explore his vision of art, his sense of humor, his relationship with religion and spirituality, and his ultimate aspiration towards the "immaterial".