1957 YVES KLEIN BLUE STAMP

“Timbre Bleu” (Blue Stamp) circa 1957 by French artist Yves Klein. Framed 1957 Yves Klein Blue Stamp art work, part of the MAXFIELD Private Collection. Originally created to be sent on invitations for his double exhibitions in Paris at Iris Clert and Colette Alendy in the year 1957, the stamps feature his signature IKB pigment (International Klein Blue). Sent through the mail in place of official postage stamps, these 2 1/2 x 2 centimeter blue stamps are a commemoration of the artist’s work, especially underscoring his ventures in monochrome. Breaking down boundaries between conceptual art, painting and performance, Klein’s stamps were officially franked by French government. While they do possess the classic features of an official stamp, like a small rectangular shape and perforated edges, unlike the government-issued ones, these were completely covered in ultramarine and devoid of any images or signifying information. Expressing feeling rather than figurative form, the artist utilized this primary color as a way of capturing the concepts of immateriality and the infinite.