George Mathieu: Air France, Inde

AIR FRANCE, INDE 

Since 1933, Air France has had an illustrious history producing bold and eyecatching advertising campaigns. By employing notable artists to capture the romance and wonder of travel. Mathieu was an abstract artist and the creator of Tachism, promoting an ‘aesthetic of risk’ and the notion of speed when producing art.

His work has been shown internationally and he was commissioned by Air France in 1967 to produce a set of fifteen travel posters, among them Japan, Canada, Great Britain and Italy.

GEORGE MATHIEU (1921-2012) 

Mathieu’s works are characterized by a calligraphic quality of line, which he achieved by using long brushes and applying paint directly from tubes to the canvas. The immediacy and rapid execution of these distinct methods guaranteed the freedom with which he defined his work. According to Clement Greenberg, Mathieu was the most powerful among his contemporary European painters.
 Mathieu’s work is in numerous museums and public permanent collections including Centre Pompidou, MoMA New York & Tate, London.