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Francois Morellet Furniture

French, 1926-2016

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.

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Creator: Francois Morellet
Almir Mavignier Poster for Morellet/Adrian Show at Studio F
By Studio F, Almir da Silva Mavingier, Francois Morellet
Located in New York, NY
Silkscreened poster for a show of work by avant-garde artists Francois Morellet and Marc Adrian, held at Mark Fried’s Studio f in Ulm in April, 1961. Poster design by Brazilian/Germ...
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1960s German Minimalist Vintage Francois Morellet Furniture

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Metal

Screenprint of 50% Blue & 50% Black Squares by François Morellet, 1971
By Francois Morellet
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
François Morellet’s *Répartition aléatoire de 40000 carrés selon les chiffres pairs et impairs d’un annuaire de téléphone* (1971) is an 80 x 80 cm screenprint that masterfully combin...
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20th Century Francois Morellet Furniture

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Paper

François Morellet 40, 000 Carres
By Francois Morellet
Located in Chicago, IL
François Morellet 40,000 Carres, Screenprint in two colors. Signed and numbered to lower edges ‘282/300 Morellet’. This work is number 282 from the edition of 300 published by Éditio...
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1970s French Vintage Francois Morellet Furniture

Materials

Paper

Francois Morellet, Zwei Interferenz Schnitte, minimal sculpture, signed & dated
By Francois Morellet
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Stunning and rare work by one of the leading artists of the 20th century. This work is only produced in a limited edition of 30, each signed by Morellet. Two other examples of this ...
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1970s Dutch Minimalist Vintage Francois Morellet Furniture

Materials

Wood

Screenprint of 50% Green & 50% Orange Squares by François Morellet, 1971
By Francois Morellet
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
François Morellet’s *Répartition aléatoire de 40000 carrés selon les chiffres pairs et impairs d’un annuaire de téléphone* (1971) is an 80 x 80 cm screenprint featuring a vibrant com...
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20th Century Francois Morellet Furniture

Materials

Paper

Screenprint of 50% Yellow & 50% White Squares by François Morellet, 1971
By Francois Morellet
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
François Morellet’s *Répartition aléatoire de 40000 carrés selon les chiffres pairs et impairs d’un annuaire de téléphone* (1971) is an 80 x 80 cm screenprint featuring a striking in...
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20th Century Francois Morellet Furniture

Materials

Paper

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Francois Morellet furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Francois Morellet furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Francois Morellet furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Émile Gilioli, and Hanna Eshel. Prices for Francois Morellet furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,554 and can go as high as $6,937, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,745.

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