François Morellet's Neon Geometry in 2013 Exhibition

François Morellet's 2013 exhibition featured neon works that distinguish his approach from contemporaries like Frank Stella and Ellsworth Kelly. As a cofounder of GRAV (Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel), Morellet evolved minimal aesthetics from the 1960s into geometric systems using neon. Unlike Dan Flavin or James Turrell, who emphasize light's atmospheric qualities, Morellet prioritizes composition with electric slashes of pure color. His neons descend from ceilings and stripe walls, sometimes crossing canvases where white tubes replace paint. Works like Tamponade No. 2 (2013) employ black-taped grids on gallery walls, referencing postwar art's grid obsession noted by Rosalind Krauss. Other pieces, such as Entre Deux Mers No. 2 (2013), incorporate acrylic horizon lines. Morellet's art maintains a moderne chic decades later, reflecting urban geometries from Piet Mondrian to Sol LeWitt. The exhibition was reviewed in ArtReview's December 2013 issue.