Michel
Parmentier

Michel
Parmentier

French, 1938 — 2000


The works of Michel Parmentier consist in monumental canvases covered in horizontal monochrome stripes – a specific colour per year – that alternate with white stripes of the same width. This repetitive work, made with the so-called folding technique, expresses objectivity and the refusal of any formal and ideological compromise.

Parmentier’s work is intrinsically linked to that of the BMPT group, the convergence of the work of Daniel Buren, Olivier Mosset, Niele Toroni and Parmentier himself, who met at the École des Métiers d’Art. Through provocative happenings and minimalist works, they intend to reach the “zero degree of art” by rejecting all subjectivity.

The works of Michel Parmentier, part of the Pinault Collection, were first shown at the 2016 “Accrochage” ("Hanging") exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.