Self-taught French artist Francois Morellet was a man ahead of his time. Because he was quietly working away in his hometown, his abstract paintings, prints, sculptures and installations didn't garner much attention until later in his life. But once they did, Morellet's use of geometry, neon lighting and kinetic potential was on trend with the day’s contemporary art sensibilities and his work would be associated with Conceptualism as well as Op art, which saw artists producing intense visual experiences by drawing on and evolving methods developed by movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Impressionism.
Morellet was born in Cholet, France, which he called home for his entire life. While he left briefly to study literature in Paris, he returned to head his family's toy factory. Running a successful business gave Morellet the time and opportunity to focus on his art.
He began creating figurative paintings in the 1940s but pivoted to abstraction in the 1950s. His inspiration included the work of architect and designer Max Bill, which he encountered on a trip to Brazil, and the decorative Islamic art he saw in Alhambra, Spain.
In the early 1960s, Morellet became a founding member of the collaborative artists collective Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV). The experimental group created dynamic art that required the viewer's active engagement. In 1964, GRAV exhibited at Documenta in Kassel, Germany, where Morellet went on to appear twice as a solo artist.
Morellet had his first showing to American audiences in 1965 at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, followed by an exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 1970. He exhibited around the world for the rest of his career, always returning to Cholet.
In 1991, as part of a collection for Tecno curated by Valeria Borsani in part to pay tribute to her father, celebrated iconic designer and Tecno founder Osvaldo Borsani, Morellet collaborated with his eldest son, Frédéric, to create the brand’s Détabilisation tables. These sculptural minimalist furnishings are made of glass, painted cast aluminum and satin-finished stainless steel and look as though they’re going to collapse at any moment.
A prolific artist throughout his life, Morellet celebrated his 90th birthday on April 30, 2016, by launching a string of shows in London and Brazil. While planning those exhibitions, he told Wallpaper magazine: "I often said that in the past, I considered that my work was widely underestimated and that today it is probably overestimated."
Morellet passed away in May of that year, doing what he loved. Today, his work is held in the collections at the Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art, the Seoul Museum of Art, the Kunsthaus Zurich and many more prestigious institutions.
On 1stDibs, find Francois Morellet prints, paintings, mixed media and more.
François Morellet, Untitled - 1972, Signed Print, Geometric Abstraction, Op Art
By Francois Morellet
Located in Hamburg, DE
François Morellet (French, 1926-2016) Untitled (from 6. Kölner Kunstmarkt 72), 1972 Medium: Screenprint on paper Edition of 180: Hand-signed Dimensions: 45 x 65 cm Condition: Excellent
Screen
$3,062Sale Price|20% Off
H 14.18 in W 11.03 in D 0.79 in
Set of 10 Framed Rorschach Ink Tables, Abstract Prints, Excellent
By Rorschach
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Ten Rorschach tables, framed in high quality black frames under art glass. Could be purchased as one item all 10/or individually per pieces's. Price is different for the item 10 piec...
Paper
$325
H 24 in W 24 in D 1.5 in
Outgoing Tide, Signed Contemporary Neutral Minimalist Abstract Digital Painting
Located in Boston, MA
Outgoing Tide, Signed Contemporary Neutral Abstract Digital Painting 24" x 24" x 1.5" (HxWxD) Archival Print on Canvas Hand-signed by the artist in verso. This square format digital...
Canvas, Digital, Archival Pigment
$554
H 39.38 in W 27.56 in D 0.2 in
Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night-Hand painted No 2 Limited Edition of Ten
Located in London, GB
This striking large hand painted limited Edition is No. 2 of only 10 in existence. 90% of the painting is hand-painted in oil and gesso on giclee by Shizico Yi, the edition featuring...
Gesso, Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
$331
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.12 in
Hand Painted One of One Artist's Proof-Sunset Song Blue -British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This one of one unique Artist's proof is 80% hand painted by artist Shizico Yi on Giclee made on Aluminium, the original paints are hand mixed by the artist. It is the only hand pai...
Metal
$290
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.12 in
蘭 Orchids in Purple Mists-hand painted Limited Edition #3 of 10-British Artist
Located in London, GB
This is a rare hand-painted Limited Edition by contemporary artist Shizico Yi, created on a deluxe matte-finish giclée aluminium panel. Each edition is 90% hand-painted with Shizico’...
Metal
$539
H 23.63 in W 15.75 in D 0.6 in
Hand-Painted Canvas Limited Edition#5/10–Sunshine Factory-British Awarded artist
Located in London, GB
This stunning large-scale hand-painted canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and fully signed and numbered ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$750
H 10 in W 8 in
No. 4: Small Abstract Expressionist Monotype in Navy Blue, Soft Yellow & Green
By Jenny Nelson
Located in Hudson, NY
Small abstract expressionist style monotype in navy blue, green, light violet, and soft yellow 'Untitled 4' by Jenny Nelson Monotype, mad...
Oil, Archival Paper, Monoprint
$3,825
H 8.4 in W 11 in
DH in Hollywood (David Hockney) Howard Hodgkin colorful abstract painting framed
By Howard Hodgkin
Located in New York, NY
Howard Hodgkin based this print on a trip he took to visit his good friend and fellow Petersburg Press collaborator David Hockney in Los Angeles. The mid-eighties saw new levels of abstraction in Hodgkin’s work, building exuberantly off the ambiguous spaces of his earlier work. The artist used six colors of paint, producing a unique depth and texture to each print in this edition. Howard Hodgkin was introduced to the etching technique used in DH in Hollywood at Petersburg Press, where he was a long-time collaborator. Soft-ground etching allowed him to work fluidly and spontaneously, giving his prints the characteristic black brushstrokes seen in this print. Paper 8.4 x 11 in. / 21.3 × 27.9 cm Soft-ground etching (from one plate) with hand coloring in watercolor (orange-red, brown, and green) and oil pastel (red and...
Oil Pastel, Watercolor, Etching
"The View" Colorful, Abstract Monotype Print
Located in New York, NY
The View Monotype print Natasha Karpinskaia's paintings are characterized by their vibrant colors, bold shapes, and dynamic compositions. She uses a variety of media, including acry...
Paint, Paper, Monoprint, Monotype
$476Sale Price|26% Off
H 15 in W 18 in
Bateaux Original Lithograph, Abstract Style, Mid-20th Century, 75/220
By Dany Lartigue
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is from my private collection and is in very good condition. It is a limited edition 75/220.
Lithograph
$350
H 32 in W 24 in D 1.5 in
Under the Illusion, Signed Contemporary Blue Abstract Digital Painting Print
Located in Boston, MA
Under the Illusion, Original Signed Contemporary Blue Abstract Digital Painting 32" x 24" x 1.5" (HxWxD) Archival Print on Canvas Hand-signed by the artist in verso. This abstract digital painting by artist Denise Dundon...
Canvas, Digital, Archival Pigment
$1,400
H 22.5 in W 17.5 in D 1 in
Framed abstract Persian calligraphy painting on photogravure print; black, blue
By Nazanin Moghbeli
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is an original, framed mixed media work (hand painting on top of a photogravure print) in Nazanin Moghbeli's "Words from My Mother" series. It is float framed in a contemporary ...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photogravure