(born in Mendoza, Argentina in 1928,
lives and works in Paris)
Ondes 106 Series 3 N° 8, 1973, signed and dated 1973
on the reverse, acrylic on canvas, 195 x 130 cm, framed

This work is accompanied by a photo certificate signed by the artist

We are grateful to Atelier Le Parc for confirming the authenticity of this work.

Provenance:
Galleria La Polena, Genoa (label on the reverse and stamp
on the certificate)
European Private Collection

Exhibited:
Genoa, Le Parc, Galleria La Polena, 12 December 1973–9 January 1974, exh. cat. with ill. and signature of the artist

Julio Le Parc’s chromatic research began in now distant 1959, with firm principles in mind, and with the objective of experimenting with all the possible combinations deriving from the 14 colours initially chosen.
The first experiments were very simple and executed in gouache.

The few chosen tints were superimposed upon each other in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines; the multiple mixtures from a simple and strict system were placed on transparent sheets of Rhodoid: “This last technique allowed me to obtain all kind of permutations. Later I invented a small machine with transparent tapes where all my shades of colours could appear. Switching them, I could have an incredible choice of mixture.”

A theme particularly dear to Le Parc was colour as an expression of nature:
“La nature nous donne la notion du temps par la couleur, à travers des changements successifs, et la couleur, c’est quelque chose de vivant qui se multiplie avec ces transformations. Quand on apprend un peu: quelle merveille, la couleur invisible qui transite par la lumière! […]
Et les peuples primitifs (tout aussi savants) cherchant des pigments dans les pierres et dans les végétaux pour peindre leurs corps, teindre les tissus et les plumes, et construire avec eux des cérémonies collectives, magiques”.
(Through colour, Nature gives us a sense of time, via the changes which follow one another; colour is a living entity that multiplies with its transformations. Once we understand a little: how marvellous is invisible colour that travels through the light! […]

And primitive peoples (all wise people) searched for pigments in the rocks and vegetation in order to paint their bodies, dye textiles and feathers, and then use these objects to create collective magical ceremonies.)

“Colour is immense; I associate it with pure, strong colours. However, in the everyday life of our cities, pure colours are diluted into a spectrum of greys. […] Colour is, for me, on a completely different level, another category of life. A little like a transition into a dream, or a portal to a better world.”