This exhibition “L’Abstraction est une Couleur” at the Musée du Niel sets out to highlight the relationship that developed between colour and abstraction in the second half of the 20th century. This relationship is characterised by rivalry and conflict. Colour struggled to break through in the early post-war aesthetics of abstract expression, which was typically resistant to bursts of colour. Dominant colour palettes were often dark, rarely venturing out of black, white and grey.
Nevertheless, some artists like Dewasne managed to impose a colourful vision by articulating expression through geometric configurations or by using the lyrical power inherent in colour like Mathieu, Schneider, Poliakoff, Hartung, and now, Fabienne Verdier or even like Hantaï who made colour itself the central aspect of his work. Across the Atlantic, artists vigorously claimed Matisse’s legacy by declaring colour as the essential component of their abstract work whilst reinventing painting. This is true of Shirley Jaffe and Sam Francis.
It is from this series of struggle, resistance, renewal and interconnectedness that both vibrant and dark sensations, emotions and even dialogue arose which we could call “colour abstraction” —a fusion of reflection and spontaneity, form, gesture, rhythm, and color.
Artists include: Karel Appel - Martin Barré - James Bishop - Chu Teh-Chun - Jean Degottex - Jean Dewasne - Sam Francis - Hans Hartung - Simon Hantaï - Shirley Jaffe - André Lanskoy - Marcelle Loubchansky - Georges Mathieu - Jean Miotte - Lutka Pink - Serge Poliakoff - Judit Reigl - Jean-Paul Riopelle - Gérard Schneider - Kimber Smith - Nicolas de Staël - Tal Coat - Mark Tobey - Victor Vasarely - Fabienne Verdier - Maria Helena Vieira da Silva
Antoine Villeneuve, exhibition curator.
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