Yves Klein
Leap into the Void
1960
photograph
In her article 'Philosophy and Image: Leap into the Void', published on 9 March 2018, philosopher Noortje de Leij explored the difference in meaning between the suggestion of being able to rise up, as in Klein's artwork, and the beauty of falling over and over again, which is a form of surrender to the inevitable. She referred in particular to the work of artists such as Bruce Nauman and Bas Jan Ader, in which the repeated fall signifies a letting go of unrealizable illusions. 'Falling again and again, uselessly, aimlessly, without the illusion of a better existence elsewhere, is more heroic than a single leap into space. It is not the illusion of happiness shining down on us from above, but insight into what is going on (what is the case) that holds the promise of a happy life. The tragedy of the fall therefore perhaps holds more happiness than the heroic leap that tries to conceal its doomed failure. Or as Samuel Beckett's famous adage put it: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.'
A work of my own that I have chosen was created in 1984, but it no longer exists. It was constructed from iron, wood, glass and varnish. In other words, a layering of materials that become increasingly less solid and more fluid. I probably cut the piece up to use as the basis for another work. I’d love to see it again, and I’ve often thought about making a copy. I don’t do that, though, because the memory of the sculpture is probably a more satisfying result.
Ton van Kints, 2026
