Absolute Effort: The "Total Art" of Yves Klein
Yves Peintures (1954): An Aesthetic Debut
Born to two artists, Fred Klein, a figurative painter, and Marie Raymond, an abstract painter, Klein’s rejection of the tradition from which he originated, namely the construction imposed by the “line,” prompted him in 1946 to assert that color would be the realm in which he would operate:
“‘COLOR,’ the sensuous pure space exerted upon me such a power of attraction that I painted monochrome surfaces to see, with my own eyes to SEE, what was visible in the absolute.” (Klein 2016, loc 62. Emphasis added.)
The arrival of Yves Peintures to the art world in 1954 catalyzed a dialogue between the catalogue that existed as a symbol of prestige and the catalogue that existed in Klein’s perception; a document that questioned representation itself. Klein’s catalogue can be interpreted as a rejection of the environment from which his parents originated, a tradition where painters, according to Klein, lack an understanding of their identity and the essence of their work (Klein 2016, loc 552). In defiance of this precedent, Klein utilized samples of non-uniformly sized colored sheets, displaying them across the pages of the catalogue under identical titles: “Yves.” These were paired with various locations (e.g., “in Madrid” or “in Tokyo”), years, and numbers without measurements (e.g., “130x81”), thereby challenging the function of the catalogue and its methods of representation.
Additionally, the preface of the work has been redacted, providing no information aside from the title and author. Due to this limited information, which displays only the aforementioned qualities, the work’s primary focus, COLOR, became Yves’s material conduit to transform both himself and the world he was compelled to disrupt. This preoccupation with color and the performative attributes underpinning the catalogue initiated a form of disruptive behavior that is regarded as both mocking and a manifestation of genius. Yves Peintures heralded the emergence of an artist who posed the inquiry, “Why not? Why can’t I rearrange the way you’ve thought before? Why can’t I change the way you see?” The confidence underlying this assertion arises from his understanding of his intended identity as an artist—a challenger to tradition, perception, and the marginalization of the artist as merely an aesthetic figure.
Inquiries regarding the content of Yves Peintures can be correlated with Klein’s quest for transcendence, the “total art.” From 1954 until the conclusion of his career, his unique color theory-ranging from the appropriation of the color blue through his patented IKB to canvases composed of pure gold and others tinted in rose-facilitated the assertion of his authority. The spectacle that would eventually constitute the material figure known as “Yves Klein” soon obscured the distinction between the artist and the individual. Kaira M. Cabañas, in “Yves Klein’s Performative Realism,” articulates, “Klein’s authority as a painter was thus retroactively produced. In short, [Yves Peintures] invented at once the artist and his work. At stake in Klein’s work is how such discursive acts create rather than conform to an already existing reality.” (Cabañas 2008, 8. Emphasis added). Klein’s “discursive” performativity would become his hallmark: redefining our perception through his aesthetic principles. He exhibited no inclination to replicate or reproduce what had previously been accomplished. His objective was to make a profound impression and persuade others of his vision—the sole pathway to attaining liberation.
Klein exhibited meticulous attention to the perception of his work and himself, demonstrating a palpable self-awareness that can be correlated to his early commitment to Judo, which tied the immaterial thoughts presented in his works to his material passion for the body and movement. His engagement with a physical medium may indicate the origins of his perceptual and performance abilities. Although both painting and Judo commenced simultaneously, as noted in his journals, Klein asserts that “Judo has helped me to understand that pictorial space is, above all, the product of spiritual exercises. Judo is, in fact, the discovery of the human body in a spiritual space” (Klein 2016, loc 412). Klein’s comprehension of spiritual space through martial arts became the reality he sought in his artistic endeavors- a realm in which one’s presence and exercise of self became ingrained in Klein’s extensive application of color. This transformative self-environment was intentionally directed as an extension beyond oneself, influencing those who would engage with this new reality.
Yves Peintures' experimentation prompted an inquiry into the role of the object, art, and the artist. The artist articulated his response in the “Text for the Exhibition ‘Yves Peinture’ at Lacoste Publishing House” in Paris, on 15 October 1955, stating, “I thus seek to individualize color for I have reached the conclusion that each color expresses a living world, and I express these worlds in my painting” (Klein 2016, loc 526). By illuminating these worlds, Klein’s objective tends towards immanence and presence, paralleling the pursuits of the symbolists and Romantics who preceded him, thus inviting the reader to contemplate the extent to which evolution prevails over revolution.
Klein’s initial endeavor to revitalize color beyond the limitations of “line” fostered a profound fascination, thus laying the groundwork for his forthcoming extensive catalog. Critics argue that this fascination originated from his desire for performance – the evolution of his concept of “immanence.” As he navigated the domains of showmanship and what was classified as “artistic talent,” Klein transitioned from Yves Peintures to perceiving “life as performance,” prompting the inquiry: what roles do color, performance, and spirituality occupy as integral elements in the quest for “total art?” Furthermore, how did the artist himself manipulate his surrounding frameworks to reinforce his aesthetic vision? Ultimately, is this not the objective of all contemporary artists in their engagement with modernity: a redefinition of perception?
