Sunday, September 16, 2012

Modern Art in Nice - Klein, Kapoor, and Byars


A new exhibition of the work of three powerful artists - Yves Klein, Anish Kapoor, and James Lee Byars is currently on display at MAMAC (Museum of Modern and Contemporary art) in Nice.....The strong link between all three is the striking use of monochrome and material interacting with gallery scale and space...


The ultramarine of Yves Klein is immediately recognisable and the intense blue in the opening room dominated by a wide pool of the blue pigment powder is extremely magnetic - with the gallery staff having to warn visitors all day not to touch....such is the attraction..


Similarly tactile is the large white sculpture by Byars which dominates the second room. Here the perfect white marble spheres appear like a giant's necklace carefully arranged on the gallery floor...The white monolithic obelisks accompanying this piece hint at older standing stone structures...



Lastly the sculptural red waxen shapes of Kapoor which appear to be bursting through the gallery walls in the third room, again challenge our sense of space and scale. The vibrant monochrome colours and the powerful physicality of all three artists' work - the red, white and blue make the entire exhibition an experience of an assault on the senses. Don't miss this exhibition - it is here until 16th December 2012. Enjoy!!

2 comments:

A Cuban In London said...

Like you, I love tha intenses ultramarine. It's a different type of blue and no less beautiful because of it.

I missed Kapoor's exhibition at Somerset House last year but what I was able to see appealed to me. I love the shapes of his artworks.

Many thanks for this snippet. I wish I could visit the exhibit.

Greetings from London.

Catherine said...

Thanks Cuban - look forward to seeing your wknd posts....