Artwork, 1955, May

Expression of the universe of the orange lead colour

"I believe, it would be amusing to recount my rejection from the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in 1955, which does not lack savor and has a strong bearing on that point. (...)
My mother, well known to all the members of the Salon committee, which were her colleagues, then received an extraordinary telephone call from one of its members, whose name I cannot cite here, of course, and the ensuing conversation can be summarized as follows: You understand, it really isn’t sufficient all the same; then, if Yves at least accepted to add a little line, or a point, or even simply a spot in another color, we would be able to hang it, but one single, uniform color, no, no, truly that is not enough, that is impossible!
As I categorically refused to add anything whatsoever, I received a second letter the following morning, very polite and courteous this time, but still very firm, from which I shall cite only the last paragraph, absolutely incredible in its totalitarian spirit: We shall be pleased, some other year, if, considering matters as I have expressed them to you, you should decide to show with us to the extent to which, having seen our salon, you will perceive the possibility of harmonizing your effort with our own.
In short, total dictatorship, in a Salon that prided itself on being largely open to the most advanced attempts, concepts, and research."

Yves Klein, excerpt from « The Monochrome Adventure: the monochrome epic », 1960, Overcoming the problematics of Art -The writings of Yves Klein, Spring Publications, 2007
Reference M 60
Technical Dry pigment and synthetic resin on cardboard mounted on panel
Dimensions 95 x 226cm