Jean Tinguely

Sketch of the functions and movements of the Méta-Malevitch

c. 1954

Material / technique: Black ink on paper
Size: 13.6 x 21 cm
Inv.Number: 4142
Catalogue raisonné:
Creditline: Museum Tinguely, Basel

The Méta-Malevitch reliefs, a series of over 20 works, were executed in 1954 and 1955. Tinguely viewed them as his homage to Kasimir Malevich, the Russian Constructivist, whose static compositions he set into motion in his reliefs so that continually new constellations are created. Accident plays a major role in the details here, because the elements rotate at different speeds and thus yield an ongoing series of new compositions. Each image is new and virtually unrepeatable.