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Froissage artists

The artists behind froissage and crumpled-paper art, from Ladislav Novák and Jiří Kolář to Ladislas Kijno, Simon Hantaï and André-Pierre Arnal, and where to see their work.

Pieces of coloured paper cut and arranged into a collage on a table
Artists Ellsworth Kelly's Chance Collages: Spectrum Colors, 1951 Ellsworth Kelly's chance collages: how the Paris years, Jean Arp and numbered slips of paper led to Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance, plus a class version. October 17, 2026
Curved stainless steel panels of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles under a clear blue sky, with steps and a pedestrian in front
Artists Frank Gehry and Crumpled Paper: The Myth and the Method Did Frank Gehry design buildings from crumpled paper? The Simpsons joke, the Sydney paper bag building and how Gehry really worked with sketches and models. October 17, 2026
Layers of cream, pink, grey and dark blue paint scraped and flaking to reveal the colours underneath
Artists Jean Dubuffet Texturologies: Paintings of Soil and Chance Jean Dubuffet's Texturologies of 1957-58 and his Phénomènes prints: how he spattered, scratched and printed textures of soil and walls, and what to try. October 17, 2026
Crumpled ball of thin material on a plain surface, its folds catching the light
Artists Brassaï Involuntary Sculptures: Dalí, Minotaure and Paper Brassaï's Involuntary Sculptures: the 1933 Minotaure photographs made with Dalí of rolled bus tickets and crumpled scraps, and why they matter for froissage. October 16, 2026
Close view of creased paper with sharp folds catching the light
Artists André-Pierre Arnal: Froissage, Pliage and Supports/Surfaces André-Pierre Arnal's froissage and pliage: the crumpled canvas of 1968, folded works of the 1970s, his place in Supports/Surfaces and where to see them. October 15, 2026
Worn, stained sheet of old paper with soft creases and frayed edges
Artists Kurt Schwitters Merz Collage: Found Paper Turned into Art Kurt Schwitters and Merz collage: where the word Merz came from, tickets and scraps as art, the Merzbau, exile in Norway and England, and a found-paper project. October 15, 2026
Close-up of white crumpled paper with sharp ridges and shadows, the kind of surface Kijno built his froissages on
Artists Ladislas Kijno Froissage: Crumpled Paper and Spray Paint Ladislas Kijno and froissage: the French painter's crumpled papers from 1946, his spray-paint method, his life from Warsaw to Paris and where to see it. October 15, 2026
Abstract branching pattern created by pressing paint between two surfaces and pulling them apart
Artists Óscar Domínguez and Decalcomania: Surrealism's Inkblot Óscar Domínguez and decalcomania: the Tenerife painter who made pressed-paint images a Surrealist method in 1936, his life in Paris, and how to try it. October 15, 2026
Sheet of white paper folded into sharp angular facets catching the light
Artists Simon Hantaï Pliage: Folding as a Method of Painting Simon Hantaï's pliage explained: how folding, painting and unfolding canvas became his method from 1960, the main series, and how it relates to froissage. October 15, 2026
Decalcomania on paper by Jindřich Štyrský, 1936, with branching dark forms pressed from paint
Artists Toyen and Štyrský: Artificialism, Prague and Decalcomania Toyen and Štyrský, the Czech pair behind Artificialism: their Paris years, the 1934 Czech Surrealist Group, Štyrský's decalcomanias and where to see them. October 15, 2026
Thin trail of smoke rising from a candle against a dark background
Artists Wolfgang Paalen and Fumage: The Painter of Candle Smoke Wolfgang Paalen and fumage: who he was, how he made smoke paintings in 1936-37, his surrealist years, Mexico and DYN magazine, and where to see his work. October 15, 2026
Courtyard of Museum Kampa in Prague with a red horse and rider sculpture
Artists Froissage Artists: Novák, Kolář, Kijno, Hantaï and Arnal Meet the froissage artists: Ladislav Novák and Jiří Kolář in Prague, and the French painters Ladislas Kijno, Simon Hantaï and André-Pierre Arnal. October 14, 2026
A ball of crumpled white paper on a dark surface
Artists Froissage Examples: Gallery and Where to See Real Works Froissage examples: a gallery of licensed crumpled-paper photos, related chance techniques, and where to see real works by Novák, Kolář, Kijno and Hantaï. October 14, 2026
Grid of torn and cut paper fragments including old maps and handwriting arranged as a collage
Artists Jiří Kolář Collage Techniques: Froissage, Rollage and More Jiří Kolář's collage techniques explained: froissage, crumplage, rollage, chiasmage and confrontage, his path from poet to exile in Paris, and exercises to try. October 14, 2026
View over the rooftops of Třebíč in the Czech Republic, the town where Ladislav Novák lived and taught
Artists Ladislav Novák Froissage: The Czech Poet of Crumpled Paper Ladislav Novák (1925-1999), the Czech poet behind froissage and alchemage: his life in Třebíč, his methods including smoke drawings, exhibitions, collections. October 14, 2026