GEORGES MATHIEU (1921–2012)

French artist Georges Mathieu, whose large abstract paintings were the fulcrum of the Lyrical Abstraction movement that swept across France during the years following World War II, has passed away at the age ninety-one, reports RFI. In the 1970s, Mathieu’s practice shifted from painting to architecture and graphic design; he created logos for stamps and national television networks, designed the face of the 10 franc coin, and crafted posters for Air France. He is also noted for introducing Jackson Pollock to Paris in 1951, organizing a solo exhibition for the painter with his gallerist Paul Facchetti. Called the “world’s fastest painter,” Mathieu said of his style of painting in 1964: “The craftsmanship, the finish, the reliance on Greek ideals, all that is dead. Tension, density, the unknown, and mystery reign and win in every painting. For the first time in history, painting has become a performance, and you can watch its creation as you might a jam session.”