…At last my paintings had taken flight…The 1980s set the scene for a grandiose and fundamentally new shift in Françoise Gilot’s (b. 1921, Neuilly-sur-Seine/F) career; thick oil paint was replaced by thin acrylic layers, the easel was replaced by the floor of the studio in New York and thus were born the so called "floating paintings". The "floating paintings" are large, colourful, unframed paintings, which combine features of calligraphy and symbolism. Their meaning is left open for the viewer but is inspired by Japanese kakemono (scroll painting) and Tibetan Tanka (Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton or silk appliqué).These paintings, floating in space and time, are meditative and contemplative; the aim is to create a sense of peace and tranquillity. However, these artworks are also undeniably pervaded by a spirit of freedom; the paintings are not bound to the stark reality of a wooden or metal frame, the paintings’ colours are vibrating and the symbols within them give an opportunity for the viewer to evoke new meaning or untapped ideas.With the "floating paintings" Françoise Gilot established a very significant period in her artistic career. Her painting had taken flight and, until 1986, had become a worthy representation of her Art.