Jean Tinguely: Méta-Maxi
Jean Tinguely started to create his first moving sculptures in 1952 in Paris. In 1960, the artist, who is a friend of Yves Klein, attracted international attention in New York when he allowed an eight meter tall sculpture, made of a variety of objects such as wheels, bath tubs and bells etc., to self-destruct to the sound of its own accompaniment. Tinguely endeavors to get people to interact with his art, to entrance them whilst simultaneously freeing their minds and creatively encouraging conscious political action.
Sculpture Machines
After his spectacular performance in New York, Tinguely started a life and work relationship with Niki de Saint Phalle and commenced a frenzied work phase which shunned no experiment, dimension or provocation. Scrapyards, refuge tips, deserted factories and jumble sales are all places where he finds the materials for his sculpture machines, which ring, draw and move, can be used, walked on or driven, throw balls or plates around or self-destruct.
In the seventies and eighties, in collaboration with artist friends such as Daniel Spoerri, Jesús Rafael Soto, or François Morellet, he created such wide-ranging open-air projects as "La Tête", a huge sculpture in the forest Milly-la-Forêt near Paris.
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