A Geneva museum exhibits the works of the Swiss visual artist, known as “one of the central figures of post-war abstract painting”.
The artist Olivier Mosset (here in 2003) is notably famous for his circles, which have become his signature over time. Between 1966 and 1974, he painted between 150 and 200 (archives).
KEYSTONE / OLIVIER MAYOR
MAMCO offers a retrospective of the work of Swiss visual artist Olivier Mosset. The exhibition is on display until December 6, 2020.
The Geneva Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art exhibits the works of Olivier Mosset, which he describes as “one of the central figures of post-war abstract painting and an essential reference for several generations of European painters and Americans ”. The artist is particularly known for his monumental works and his famous painted circles.
The artist was born in Bern in 1944, where he discovered the artistic worlds of Jasper John and Rober Rauschenberg. He then decides to become an artist himself. At the beginning of 1963, he left for Paris to become Jean Tinguely’s assistant, says the MAMCO website.
Circles for minimalism
Olivier Mosset is particularly famous for his circles, which have become his signature over time. Between 1966 and 1974, he painted between 150 and 200. “These circles are among the most commented works of this period. This minimal composition, untitled, unsigned, formulates a sort of unsurpassable pictorial ideal for the artist, who sees no reason to paint anything else ”, indicates MAMCO.
Olivier Mosset has collaborated with artists of his time, such as Niele Toroni, Michel Parmentier and Daniel Buren. He borrows from the latter the pattern of vertical bands, which he uses after having abandoned the figure of the circle.
Related artists also exhibited
The exhibition covers sixty years of artistic practice. “From the first experiments in the 1960s to recent monumental works, including the painter’s reflections on appropriation, monochrome or ‘shaped canvases’,” says the museum.
In parallel to the exhibition, other rooms in the museum are devoted to artistic movements and to artists close to Olivier Mosset, in order to take another look at his work. “In addition to a section dedicated to activities with Buren, Parmentier and Toroni, works of New Realism are also presented,” writes MAMCO.
www.mamco.ch
(ATS / NXP)
–
