“Meet Jean Tinguely, who might be an artist, an inventor or a philosopher … depending on how you look at his masterpieces.” (Universal Newsreel, 1960)
Joan Blanche of AQNB shares her experience of Méta-Reliefs / Méta-Matics (1955-1961), a remarkable collection of work by Jean Tinguely now at Galerie Vallois in Paris:
“Yes, Jean Tinguely does have a wonderful name when pronounced à l’anglaise. But it’s not just his name that’s currently tickling the fancy of Nouveau Réalisme art fans. Eleven of his pieces, some of which have never been exhibited before, are being shown at the Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois Gallery in the artists’ quarter of Saint Germain des Près in Paris. Were Tinguely still with us (he passed away over twenty years ago) he would surely have appreciated the location, only a few steps away from the Arnaud Lefebvre Gallery, the host of his very first solo exhibition.
“The collection, divided into ‘Méta-Reliefs’ and ‘Méta-Matics,’ was created between 1955 and 1961. Here, we can clearly see the fascination with movement, space and fantasy that made Tinguely such an important member of the avant-garde arts scene in the mid-twentieth century.” (Image via Galerie Vallois: Le Frigo (open) – 1960 © André Morin)
Jean Tinguely’s Méta-Reliefs / Méta-Matics (1955-1961) is on exhibit at Galerie Vallois in Paris until 17 November. To learn more about the show, see the Galerie Vallois press release (in French) or watch the ouvretesyeux video (also in French) below.