When Simon Hantaï unlocked his now renowned pliage method in 1960, the Hungarian-born, Paris-based artist achieved such overwhelming success in France that it would eventually force him to completely withdraw from the art world. Often referred to as ‘a silence’ – or, as Alfred Pacquement more accurately described, a ‘critical silence’ – Hantaï’s exit was less a retirement than a period of reflection and intellectual consolidation. From 1982 onwards he made no new paintings and would seldom exhibit, despite consistent invitations from dedicated curators. Hantaï died in 2008.
Image Credit: Simon Hantaï exhibition view at Timothy Taylor Gallery
