Yves Klein (1928 - 1962)

Yves Klein, Anthropometry of the Blue Period, 1960

Yves Klein, Untitled Anthropometry, 1960

Text from MoMA: "Klein employed female models as "living paintbrushes" to make this work and others in his Anthropometry series, named after the study of human body measurements. "In this way," the artist said, "I stayed clean. I no longer dirtied myself with color, not even the tips of my fingers." Klein directed the models, covered in International Klein Blue—his patented blue paint—to make imprints of their bodies on large sheets of paper. He staged the making of Anthropometries as elaborate performances for an audience, complete with blue cocktails and a performance of his Monotone Symphony—a single note played for twenty minutes, followed by twenty minutes of silence."

 Watch video recordings of Klein's Anthropometries here and here and an interview with one of the models.

Yves Klein (1928 - 1962)

Yves Klein, Leap into the Void, 1960

Yves Klein, Single Day Newspaper (November 27th 1960) incorporating photograph captioned 'The Painter of Space Hurls  Himself into the Void'. (See Hopkins, D (2000) After Modern Art, 1945-2000, Oxford: OUP, p80)

Yves Klein, Leap into the Void, 1960 - pictures from which final comosite was made

Yves Klein (1928 - 1962)

Yves Klein, IKB 79, 1959