NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE

1930 – 2002

 

Niki de Saint Phalle, born in France but raised in the USA, was one of the most legendary women artists of the 20th century. 

She appeared on the art world scene in the early 60’s as the only female member of the Nouveaux Realistes in Paris. She caused an uproar and rose to fame “shooting” her paintings with a rifle. She then moved on to focus on a series of the various “roles” of women such as brides, births, prostitutes, Nanas and “Devouring Mothers”. This was an obvious critic of the status of women in society, as well as their place in it. 

In the 70’s, Saint Phalle began to created large colourful public art, her most important being the TAROT GARDEN in Italy to which she devoted 20 years of her life. In the early 90’s she returned to the U.S., after the death of her husband and long-time collaborator, kinetic artist Jean Tinguely. There she continued creating art until her death, documenting her life and cultural clashes that her return to the U.S had brought her.