Ellsworth Kelly is a major figure of 20th century art. His abstract works are rooted in a reflection on color, form, and space. His sculptures with bold foldings—and his monochrome paintings with geometrical cuts—reveal the surrounding space.
Ellsworth Kelly, Gaul, 1993
Gaul is a piece of art that was created specifically for Carré d'Art, as part of a public commission. Its title evokes the Gallic past of Nîmes, formerly called Nemausus, and the presence of megaliths in the region (in Courbessac, 2,500 BC).
Gaul was the first monumental sculpture by Ellsworth Kelly to enter a French public collection. It was commissioned when Carré d'Art was built and has been installed as a site-specific work since 1993.
Plan du socle et de la base de l’œuvre "Gaul"Carré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
Ellsworth Kelly entrusted the production of Gaul to the Lippincott, Inc. studio, a Connecticut-based company that specializes in monumental sculptures.
Ellsworth Kelly et Robert CalleCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
Ellsworth Kelly welcomes Robert Calle, the museum director who initiated the project in Connecticut at the Lippincott Art Metal Workshop.
Déplacement de "Gaul" à LippincottCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
Founded in 1966, this metal workshop was envisioned by its founders as an extension of the artist's studio. He is renowned for his collaboration with many American artists and the production of large-scale sculpture projects.
Gaul, in its raw state, with handles to enable transportation, before being shipped to France.
Guy Tosatto et Ellsworth KellyCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
Guy Tosatto, then director of the museum, and Ellsworth Kelly receive the work in March 1993 and installed it before the inauguration of Carré d'Art. Coming from the United States, it is still covered and on rails.
Gaul is installed with a device adapted to its weight, which came in at 4.35 tons, and height, reaching nearly 20 feet (6.02 m). It will be moved and erected by the team in the selected location in the entrance hall of Carré d'Art, assisted by a system of rails and pulleys.
The work is fixed on a custom made frame of about 6.5 feet (2 m), fastened to the concrete floor. The entrance hall floor, made of marble slabs, will then be raised to the same height as the base to conceal it.
Its light appearance is emphasized by the illusion that it is just standing there without any kind of support. Its two opaque metal sides, 2 inches (5.1 cm) thick, have a base of over 30 inches (80 cm) each and are slightly curved. They are open at an angle of 90 degrees.
Installation de "Gaul" dans le hall de Carré d’ArtCarré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
The installation of Gaul in the atrium of Carré d'Art was followed and extensively documented by photographer Jack Shears, who accompanied Ellsworth Kelly.
Majestic yet discreet, the sculpture is perceived very differently depending on where you look at it from in terms of open space, angles, seeing only one side or the other.
Ellsworth KELLY, "Gaul", 1993Carré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain
With its sober and slender form and its dark grey opaque color, Gaul echoes the spirit of Carré d'Art's architecture and its glass walls.
Carré d'Art - Musée d'art contemporain - Nîmes - www.carreartmusee.com
Navigart: https://www.navigart.fr/carredart/artworks
Centre de documentation Bob Calle: https://carreartmusee.centredoc.fr/index.php
Realization: Carré d'art - Musée
Iconography: © Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Photo Jack Shears ; Photo D. Huguenin ; Photo R. Ricaulx
