Peinture aux formes variables

décembre 1965-janvier 1966

Paint on canvas, black and white striped fabric, with alternate and vertical strips, each 8,7 cm wide ; white acrylic paint tracing reserves of variable shapes

245 x 271.4 cm (96 7/16 x 106 7/8 in.)

Rectilinear undulating patterns superimposed on a neat network of vertical black and white stripes form a new white acrylic grid that is looser than their support. Peinture aux formes variables aux stries iconiques (Painting with Variable Forms and Iconic Stripes) belongs to an eponymous matrix series that marked a turning point in Daniel Buren's prolific work.

Made in 1965-1966, this pivotal series is based on a piece of ordinary striped fabric the artist found at the Saint Pierre market. It is about self-effacement behind an intention, the reduction of his intervention to what he calls “zero degree painting". Using a single medium, painting, Buren breaks down the conventional boundaries between form and substance in a play of overlapping and reframing.

This version of Peinture aux formes variables is in the Pinault Collection alongside two others from the same series. It was presented during the major group show "Mapping the Studio" at the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in 2009.
Exhibitions
Daniel Buren's other artwork