May 2019,Guggenheim Museum NEW YORK (USA)
Georges Mathieu OVERVIEW
In the history of western art, the 20th century is considered to be the golden age for abstract art. During this period, artists held on to their ideals, believing that art should no longer rely on representations of the material world or symbolic meanings of objects in specific cultural backgrounds to convey a spiritual sense of perception. At the turn of the century, the value of religion and ethics was shaken up. Artists shied away from previous forms of creation and turned to simple colors and shapes in hopes of finding a universal principle as well as a pure form to express the profound spiritual connection and the underlying order in the universe that transcend time, space and culture. However, in the wake of two world wars, the lofty ideals within were shattered by an empty void of misery. They reexamined their beliefs, realizing that abstract expression would only end up an empty and repetitive form if it did not connect a subjective consciousness with the historical realities that had taken place. As a leading figure of post-war abstract art, Mathieu believed that there were three levels of creation, namely, superficial depiction, connection to external world, and finally, self-exploration - the last of which he firmly held to be the core of his belief, though the most challenging and lonely. By means of “incarnation,” Mathieu learned to translate historical figures, events and abstract concepts into artistic language. When appreciating his works, viewers can temporarily take their mind off reality, which indirectly brings about a constant evolution of thought. By then, Mathieu had established his signature style. Born in 1921, Georges Mathieu matured and formed his thoughts during the interwar period and WWII.
