Jean Tinguely's Meta-Reliefs at Galerie Vallois

Galerie Georges-Philippe et Nathalie Vallois in Paris presented nine of Jean Tinguely's early "Reliefs méta-mécaniques" (Meta-Reliefs), created between 1955 and 1959. The term "méta" was suggested by Pontus Hulten to evoke metamorphosis and movement within the traditionally static picture plane. These small white or black reliefs feature organic or geometric metal forms that move slowly across painted panels via hidden motors. Each work has a distinct number of moving elements, from swarming clusters to sparse compositions like "Probabilité n° 14" with only four or five forms that can hide behind one another. The slow, variable speeds create a graceful, restrained spectacle reminiscent of Noh theater. Tinguely's early minimalism is exemplified by "Stabilité," a rectangular relief that can be displayed horizontally or vertically, shown for the first time. The artist sought to animate the abstract geometries of Malevich, Kandinsky, Miró, Arp, and even Matisse's cut-outs. Bernard Blistène's catalogue essay quotes Tinguely's aim to resist "any form of force that agglomerates and crystallizes an authority that oppresses others." This moral stance also informed his critique of machines, expressed in the ever-changing reliefs and his "Méta-matics" drawing machines. Two such machines, made from rusty scrap metal in the spirit of Nouveau Réalisme, were also on view, providing a counterpoint to the pristine Meta-Reliefs and showcasing Tinguely's characteristic humor and poetry.