In art, as in science, some of the most thoughtful, pioneering minds work away quietly in their studios or labs for decades before the world catches on to what they are doing. For nearly 30 years – from the late 1940s to the mid-70s – François Morellet, a self-trained painter, ran his family’s factory in Cholet, western France. Come the weekend, he was quietly inquiring into the nature of subjectivity in art – or as he describes it, 'flirting with the void'.
'When your goal is to say nothing, it is easy to do so, but the biggest challenge is to let people know about it,' says Morellet, as he prepares a series of exhibitions in London and Brazil to mark his 90th birthday. Now, at last, his early pieces of radical minimal and conceptual art are recognised by the establishment, and hang in major collections including the Tate Modern and MoMA; and his international reputation is growing.
He is wryly philosophical about his late success: 'I often said that in the past, I considered that my work was widely underestimated and that today it is probably overestimated. Injustice can be quite bearable, especially when it favours yourself.' This attitude, of standing back from his own success and observing it with a scientific, politicised coldness – yet always with a warm, humanising wit – is typical of the attitude Morellet has always taken to art.
In the early 50s, reacting against the values of the day, Morellet began to experiment with painting and printing methods that used systems to minimise the sensibility of the artist, and 'make work as empty as possible'. He explored an aesthetic dictated by both mathematical rhythms and chance, producing works like, Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory, 1960. Pre-dating the minimalist movement, he took as aesthetic inspiration his love of free forms like jazz and the apparently infinite motifs used in Oceanic tapa fabric designs.
Morellet later embraced neon tube lighting and installation art, always looking to reject art historical baggage with fresh forms, materials, and even language. When I asked Morellet if he created work in response to architectural spaces, he said he was allergic to the word 'create'. 'As far as I am concerned I amuse myself playing with constraints that I establish with my systems. Playing with "rules of the game" is the most efficient way to reduce my subjective decisions which is my first and final goal. Playing with architecture saves me the trouble of using my own constraints.'
From the late 1940s to the mid-70s François Morellet ran his family’s factory in western France. Pictured left: Lamentable Ø 5m blanc, 2005. Right: François Morellet in his studio, Cholet.
Now, at last, his early pieces of radical minimal and conceptual art are recognised by the establishment, and hang in major collections. Pictured: 3 trames de carrés 1 trame de tirets, 1975.
Morellet’s international reputation is conspicuously growing. Pictured: Contresens n°2, 2015.
Morellet explains, ’I often said that in the past, I considered that my work was widely underestimated and that today it is probably overestimated. Injustice can be quite bearable, especially when it favours yourself.’ Pictured: Carré bandé, 2015.
Standing back from his own success and observing it with a scientific coldness – yet always with a warm, humanising wit – is typical of Morellet’s attitude. Pictured: 3 Trames de carrés réguliers pivotés sur le côté, 1970.
At the start of his career, Morellet began to experiment with painting and printing methods that used systems to minimise the sensibility of the artist, and ’make work as empty as possible’. Pictured: 5 Impressions Decalées Bleu, Vert, Jaune, Orange et Rouge, 1969.
Pre-dating the minimalist movement, he took as aesthetic inspiration his love of free forms like jazz and the apparently infinite motifs used in Oceanic tapa fabric designs. Pictured: 4 trames de tirets du bleu au vert pivotées sur un côté, 1971.
INFORMATION
’François Morellet’ is on view at Annely Juda Fine Art from 5 April – 24 June; and at The Mayor Gallery from 6 April – 27 May. For more information, visit The Mayor Gallery’s website
ADDRESS
Annely Juda Fine Art
23 Dering Street
London, W1S 1AW
The Mayor Gallery
21 Cork Street
London, W1S 3LZ
-
On the wedge: Love Hultén splices a custom synth into the classic Aston Martin LagondaA retro-futuristic sonic dream, courtesy of this bespoke synthesizer system designed for the back seat occupiers of an iconic Aston Martin
-
A West Austin house invites you to commune with natureWestview Residence by Alterstudio, a West Austin house among trees, makes the most of large windows and open-air decks in a verdant setting
-
Zenith looks ahead with its LVMH Watch Week 2025 releasesZenith launches two new releases at LVMH Watch Week which call on contemporary inspirations and trends
-
Steve McQueen presents a portrait of protest in BritainTurner Contemporary’s groundbreaking exhibition Resistance reframes the history of protest, reminding us of photography’s political potential
-
When galleries become protest sites – a new exhibition explores the art of disruptionIn a new exhibition at London's Auto Italia, Alex Margo Arden explores the recent spate of art attacks and the 'tricky' discourse they provoke
-
'It's a metaphor for life': rising star and 'Queer' poster artist Jake Grewal on his new London exhibitionBritish artist Jake Grewal speaks to Simon Chilvers about 'Under the Same Sky' as it opens at Studio Voltaire in London
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: Tate Modern’s cultural shapeshifting takes the art prizeWe sing the praises of Tate Modern for celebrating the artists that are drawn to other worlds – watch our video, where Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver gives the backstory
-
Inside the distorted world of artist George RouyFrequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form
-
‘I'm endlessly fascinated by the nude’: Somaya Critchlow’s intimate and confident drawings are on show in London‘Triple Threat’ at Maximillian William gallery in London is British artist Somaya Critchlow’s first show dedicated solely to drawing
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary partyFrom 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
