François Morellet, French painter, sculptor and light artist, Died at 90

François Morellet was born in 1926, in Cholet, Maine-et-Loire, and died on May 11, 2016.

He was a contemporary French painter, sculptor, and light artist.

Some of his early work symbolized minimal art and conceptual art, and he has played an important role in the development of geometrical abstract art.

François Morellet has worked in various materials (fabric, tape, neon, walls…) and has investigated the use of the exhibition space in terms similar to artists of installation art and environmental art.

Francois established an international reputation, mostly in Germany and France, and his work has been commissioned for public and private collections in Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and the U.S.A.

A selection taken from his works was part of the permanent collection of the Centre for International Light Art (CILA) in Unna, Germany.

To himself, a work of art refers only to itself.

François Morellet titles are generally sophisticated, show some word play, and describe the “constraints” or “rules” that he used to create them.

Compared to other contemporary artists who use constraints and chance (or the aleatory) in their works (John Cage in music, the Oulipo group in literature), Morellet uses rules and constraints established in advance to guide the creation of his works, and he also allows chance to play a role in some of his compositions.

François Morellet passed away at 90 yrs old.