Michel Parmentier's Radical Painting Zeroed Out in Florence Show
Galleria Il Ponte in Florence presents a retrospective of Michel Parmentier (1938–2000), a lesser-known co-founder of the BMPT group alongside Buren, Mosset, and Toroni. The group, active from December 1966 to December 1967, aimed to strip painting of ornamentation, using pure colors and repetitive stripes or squares on white canvas. Parmentier withdrew from painting from 1968 to 1983, returning until November 1999. The exhibition features historical works from the 1960s, with stripe colors changing annually: blue in 1966, gray in 1967, red in 1968. It also includes drawings and documents from the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing his erratic yet brilliant artistic journey.
Key facts
- Michel Parmentier was born in Paris in 1938 and died in 2000.
- He co-founded the BMPT group in December 1966 with Buren, Mosset, and Toroni.
- BMPT aimed to rationalize painting by eliminating ornamentation.
- Parmentier used pure colors and repetitive stripes or squares on white canvas.
- He stopped painting from 1968 to 1983.
- He resumed painting in 1983 and continued until November 1999.
- The exhibition at Galleria Il Ponte includes works from the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s.
- Stripe colors changed annually: blue (1966), gray (1967), red (1968).
Entities
Artists
- Michel Parmentier
- Buren
- Mosset
- Toroni
Institutions
- Galleria Il Ponte
- BMPT
Locations
- Florence
- Paris