Le ballet des beaux-arts

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Morellet’s experiments with colour and its relationship to the square and the exhibition space have influenced generations of artists. This book functions as an extension of his 1990 exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, in which four large, white canvases were tipped on their edges and mounted on the gallery walls. The book puts those figures into motion and includes a series of notes by the artist referring to Mondrian, Malevich, Albers and his own continuing determination to “assassinate the Beaux-Arts.” Ref.1

“François Morellet knew a thing or two.” Quoted in Blondie’s hit song, “rapture”. Explorations of a square and the musings thereupon choreograph a dance of form both delicate and aggressive. Ref.3

François Morellet (1926 – 2016 Cholet France) François Morellet's oeuvre encompasses painting, light art, sculpture and graphic art. The artist quickly developed a grammar that forms the basis of his imagery. In the 1960s, Morellet explored the possibilities of kinetic art and sought a medium with which to express his fascination with the importance of chance, movement and optical effects. From 1963 onwards, he created light objects using neon tubes. Like the American minimalist Dan Flavin, he allowed space and light to interact, creating a kind of immaterial sculpture. However, his self-relativising undertone positions Morellet closer to Dadaism than to the minimal art with which he is formally associated.. Ref.4

Imschoot Uitgevers In 1987 publishing house Imschoot (Ghent- Belgium) started an exceptional series of artists’ books made by international artists (Giovanni Anselmo, Sol LeWitt, John Baldessari, Lawrence Weiner, Hanne Darboven, Robert Barry, Christian Boltanski, Dan Graham, a.o.). Ref.5
In addition to the regular softcover edition (500 to 1000 copies), a deluxe hardcover edition was also issued in a very limited edition, numbered and signed by the artists.
The publishing house ceased its activities in 2006.

References

• Ref.1: Imschoot, uitgevers Catalogue 1993-1994, Artists’ books
• Ref.2: IM-series The IM-series is a collection of artists’ books, published on the occasion of the exhibition series “Affinités Sélectives” at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, organized by Bernard Marcadé. The artists were given complete freedom to develop their project, not necessarily matching their exhibition. A constant format of 14,8 x 21 cm. was adopted.
• Ref.3: Imschoot, uitgevers [2002] Catalogue
• Ref.4: SMAK.be Kunstenaars
• Ref.5: Johan Pas (Een essay door -), Het kunstenaarsboek in België: de voorzet tot een geschiedenis., Kunstenpunt