Jean Milo (1906-1993) - Composition abstraite

Jean Milo (1906-1993)
Abstract composition
Mixed media
Very good condition - original frame
The white spots are the reflections of the spotlights.
Signed and dated 1971
Trained at the academies of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode and Brussels with Constant Montald, Jean Milo created his first paintings in 1924. Two years later, he became associated with the Haesaerts brothers and served as deputy director of the avant-garde gallery Le Centaure in Brussels. He held this position until 1931.
Jean Milo is particularly active within art exhibitions, artist groups, and associations, both in Belgium and internationally. Between 1946 and 1949, he was a member of the Jeune Peinture belge. In 1946, he participated in the International Modern Art Exhibition organized by UNESCO in Paris. From 1952 to 1956, he was part of the Art abstrait group alongside Jo Delahaut and participated, from 1956 to 1963, in the Salons des Réalités Nouvelles in Paris. He was the founder of the Art actuel group in 1958 and Coll’Art in 1970.

In the 1960s, Jean Milo's work achieved a certain level of recognition, as in 1962, the 33rd Venice Biennale dedicated an entire room to him, while two years later, the Ixelles Museum organized a major retrospective of his work, tracing his artistic journey from 1924 to 1964.

Regarding his work and the style he develops, clear evolutions can be observed. Initially, his painting remains linked to a form of reference to reality until 1948; that year, he shifts to non-figurative art. From 1949 to 1951, he moves towards pure abstraction with accents close to lyrical abstraction. In 1953, a trip to Congo guides him towards a greater power of color and more simplified forms. From 1957 onwards, he practices abstract impressionism. In 1959, he becomes interested in the technique of Chinese ink wash, which he applies on long rolls of paper. Around 1970-1971, he creates collages, close to surrealist experiments. During the 1970s, he also paints intimate works with great freedom of execution, focusing on life at Belloy, a house-studio in the Lasne valley in Brabant. Since 1979, he has dedicated himself to a series titled 'Family Celebrations,' a collection including numerous drawings, sketches, watercolors, and oils. Jean Milo's work is, in fact, a perfect illustration of the artistic currents that succeeded each other in Belgium between the wars and after World War II. His style initially was expressionist, influenced by the École de Laethem; later, it was influenced by Braque and Picasso, evolving towards abstraction, and finally returning to neo-figurative art.