Georges MATHIEU

Considered the father of Lyrical Abstraction, Georges Mathieu published several manifestos from 1947 onwards to define his concept of ‘lyrical abstraction’.

He defined four conditions that would characterise the movement:
- Primacy of speed of execution to avoid interference from the artist's consciousness
- No pre-existing forms
- No premeditated gestures on the part of the artist
- The ecstatic state of the artist

His works have a distinctive calligraphic and rhythmic quality that is reminiscent of dripping art. To achieve this, he uses a technique called ‘tubisme’, which involves applying paint to the canvas directly from the tube.

In 1966, Air France commissioned Georges Mathieu to produce a series of posters to promote the main destinations in the airline's vast worldwide network. Mathieu's compositions captured the very essence of each destination, enabling people to identify the countries represented at a glance. Sixteen original posters were published the following year and exhibited at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.From 1947 onwards, Mathieu published several manifestos defining his concept of ‘lyrical abstraction’.