Material States: Yves Klein and Günther Uecker
On June 20, 2024, Lévy Gorvy Dayan opened Material States: Yves Klein and Günther Uecker, an exhibition exploring connections between Yves Klein (1928–1962) and Günther Uecker (b. 1930). Titans of Europe’s postwar avant-garde, Klein and Uecker developed radically alternative visual languages at a time when artistic traditions were increasingly questioned and dismantled. The artists’ lives converged in manifold ways, and, in January 1962, Klein married Uecker’s sister Rotraut, rendering the two family. Material States included major works by each artist, including Uecker’s poignant Hommage à Yves Klein II, created the same year as Klein’s untimely death at the age of 34.
Selected Artworks
- Günther Uecker
- Bewegtes Feld II, 1963
- Paint, nails, and graphite on canvas on wood
- 34¼ × 34¼ inches (87 × 87 cm)
- Yves Klein
- Monochrome bleu sans titre (IKB 231), 1959
- Dry pigment and synthetic resin on linen mounted on panel
- Work: 11⅝ × 25 9⁄16 inches (29.5 × 65 cm)
- Günther Uecker
- Weisse Strukturzone, 1959
- Paint and nails on canvas on wood with base
- 23¼ × 9¹³⁄₁₆ × 3⅛ inches (59 × 25 × 8 cm)
- Yves Klein
- Le silence est d’or (MG 10), 1960
- Gold leaf on panel
- 58½ × 45 inches (148.6 × 114.3 cm)