Julio Le Parc

Argentina, September 23, 1928

(not assigned)Argentina, South America

BiographyOne of the most important geometric and kinetic artists in the 1960sBorn in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1928, Le Parc studied under Lucio Fontana during the 1940s and engaged with abstract avant-garde movements in Buenos Aires. In 1958, Le Parc moved to Paris, where his encounter with Op artists, such as Victor Vasarely, had an important influence on his art. The series of gouaches Le Parc started that year—intimate yet methodical studies of form and color—illuminates his interest in developing geometric abstraction by incorporating movement through variations, sequences, and progressions. This work anticipates his founding role in Kinetic art during the 1960s, when he made paintings and sculptures with movable parts by incorporating mirrors, motors, and electric light.Aiming to make art more accessible and politically relevant, Le Parc also experimented with projected lights in darkened rooms, adding a sense of playfulness and encouraging viewer participation.

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