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LES MAÎTRES<br />
DE<br />
L’ABSTRACTION
LES MAÎTRES<br />
DE<br />
L’ABSTRACTION
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Enrico Castellani<br />
© Courtesy Archivio Enrico Castellani<br />
2 3
Enrico Castellani (1930- 2017)<br />
Castellani est né en 1930 à Castelmassa en Italie. Il étudie l’art, la sculpture et<br />
l’architecture à la Royal Aca<strong>de</strong>my of Art et à la National Aca<strong>de</strong>my of Art en Belgique. En<br />
1959, il fon<strong>de</strong> l’éphémère, mais très influente, galerie Azimut et son journal du même nom<br />
aux côtés <strong>de</strong> son ami Piero Manzoni. Milan <strong>de</strong>vient le centre névralgique du mouvement<br />
international ZERO, qui propose <strong>de</strong> faire table rase <strong>de</strong> l’expérience artistique passée<br />
fondée sur la mise en avant du progrès social <strong>de</strong> l’homme.<br />
Pour Manzoni, Castellani et Bonalumi, cette mise à zéro se traduit par une peinture<br />
monochrome, dédiée aux effets <strong>de</strong> la lumière et <strong>de</strong> l’espace. Figure majeure <strong>de</strong><br />
l’<strong>abstraction</strong> européenne d’après-guerre, il est considéré comme l’un <strong>de</strong>s artistes italiens<br />
<strong>les</strong> plus innovants. Ses travaux sont exposés et collectionnés par <strong>les</strong> plus prestigieux<br />
musées du mon<strong>de</strong>, dont le Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art et le Guggenheim Museum à New<br />
York, le Centre Georges Pompidou <strong>de</strong> Paris et le Ste<strong>de</strong>lijk Museum d’Amsterdam.<br />
Castellani was born in 1930 in Castelmassa, Italy. He studied art, sculpture and<br />
architecture at the Royal Aca<strong>de</strong>my of Art and the National Aca<strong>de</strong>my of Art in Belgium.<br />
In 1959, and alongsi<strong>de</strong> Piero Manzoni, he foun<strong>de</strong>d the short-lived but thoroughly<br />
influential Azimut Gallery and its eponymous newspaper. Milan became the nerve<br />
centre of the international ZERO movement, which proposed a total overhaul of the<br />
artistic experience, based on enhancing mankind’s social progress.<br />
For Manzoni, Castellini and Bonalumi, this total overhaul was translated by a<br />
monochromatic painting style, <strong>de</strong>dicated to the effects of light and space. A major<br />
figure of the post-war European abstract art scene, Castellani is consi<strong>de</strong>red as one<br />
of Italy’s most innovative artists. His work is exhibited and collected by some of the<br />
most prestigious museums in the world, including the Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art and<br />
the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the<br />
Ste<strong>de</strong>lijk Museum in Amsterdam.<br />
Note :<br />
Castellani commence à interagir avec la surface <strong>de</strong> la toile dans sa série Angular, au<br />
moyen <strong>de</strong> l’utilisation <strong>de</strong> clous, d’effets <strong>de</strong> relief, ainsi que par un jeu basé sur <strong>les</strong><br />
variations <strong>de</strong> lumière. L’œuvre Senza titolo (sans titre) montre l’intérêt <strong>de</strong> l’artiste pour<br />
le rythme et l’espace grâce à un subtil jeu <strong>de</strong> tensions sous-jacentes.<br />
Castellani started to interact with the canvas’ surface in his series Angular. Using nails<br />
and the curve of the canvas, the effect of light changes <strong>de</strong>pending on the angle and<br />
perception of the viewer. Senza titolo (Untitled) reveals the artist’s interest in rhythm<br />
and space thanks to a subtle play of implicit tension un<strong>de</strong>rlying.<br />
Enrico Castellani<br />
Senza titolo, 1988<br />
Signed on the lower right<br />
Embossing on paper<br />
63,2 x 78,2 cm I 24.9 x 30.8 in<br />
Certificate<br />
This artwork is registered in the Archivio Enrico Castellani, un<strong>de</strong>r application no. 88-039<br />
4 5
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Chu Teh-Chun dans son atelier<br />
Chu Teh-Chun in his studio<br />
© William Art Salon<br />
6 7
Chu Teh-Chun (1920-2014)<br />
Chu Teh-Chun est né en Chine en 1920. Après <strong>de</strong>s étu<strong>de</strong>s aux Beaux-Arts <strong>de</strong> Hangzhou,<br />
il enseigne à l’Université <strong>de</strong> Nankin, en Chine, puis il s’installe à Paris en 1955. Il se<br />
tourne vers l’<strong>abstraction</strong> en 1956, suite à la découverte <strong>de</strong> l’oeuvre <strong>de</strong> Nicolas <strong>de</strong><br />
Staël lors d’une rétrospective à Paris. Il <strong>de</strong>vient très rapi<strong>de</strong>ment un <strong>de</strong>s maîtres <strong>de</strong><br />
l’<strong>abstraction</strong> lyrique. Les oeuvres <strong>de</strong> Chu Teh-Chun sont expressives et libèrent un<br />
geste spontané. Ses paysages mentaux sont nourris par sa double appartenance aux<br />
cultures orientale et occi<strong>de</strong>ntale.<br />
De nombreuses expositions muséa<strong>les</strong> lui sont consacrées, dont cel<strong>les</strong> au Musée André<br />
Malraux au Havre en 1982 ; au Musée <strong>de</strong> Taiwan en 1991 ; au Musée <strong>de</strong> Hong Kong en<br />
1997 ; la ville <strong>de</strong> Cannes lui organise une triple exposition hommage en 2004, année <strong>de</strong><br />
la Chine en France ; à la Marlborough Gallery <strong>de</strong> New York en 2006 ; à la Pinacothèque<br />
<strong>de</strong> Paris en 2013, et à la Fondation Monticelli <strong>de</strong> Marseille en 2014.<br />
Chu Teh-Chun was born in 1920 in Anhui, China. After studying at the Hangzhou School<br />
of Fine Arts, he taught at the University of Nanjing, in China before moving to Paris<br />
in 1955. After discovering the works of Nicolas <strong>de</strong> Staël at a Parisian retrospective<br />
(1956), he turned towards <strong>abstraction</strong> and quickly became one of the masters of action<br />
painting. The works of Chu Teh-Chun are expressive, evoking spontaneous strokes<br />
that mirror the artist’s mental landscapes and are nourished by his dual Eastern and<br />
Western origins.<br />
Numerous museums exhibitions have hosted the artist’s works, including the André<br />
Malraux Museum in Le Havre (1982); the Taiwan Museum (1991); the Hong Kong Museum<br />
(1997); the city of Cannes has organised a triple exhibition tribute in 2004, the Year of<br />
China in France; the Marlborough Gallery in New York (2006), the Pinacothèque of<br />
Paris (2013) and at the Fondation Monticelli in Marseille (2014).<br />
Note :<br />
Chu Teh-Chun a grandi dans la province <strong>de</strong> Jiangsu, surnommée « le pays d’eau ».<br />
Il apprend, dans ces paysages, à regar<strong>de</strong>r et <strong>de</strong>ssiner. Ses camaïeux <strong>de</strong> bleus,<br />
omniprésents dans son oeuvre, s’inspirent <strong>de</strong> cette pério<strong>de</strong>.<br />
Chu Teh-Chun grew up in the countrysi<strong>de</strong> of Jiangsu province, known as ‘water country’;<br />
he spent his childhood observing and sketching. The artist’s sha<strong>de</strong>s of blue, present<br />
throughout his work, draw their inspiration from this particular time of his life.<br />
Chu Teh-Chun<br />
Atmosphère bleu III, 1988<br />
Signed and titled on the lower right ; signed, titled and dated on the reverse<br />
Oil on canvas<br />
92 x 65 cm I 36.2 x 25.6 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The Foundation Chu Teh-Chun has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
8 9
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
10 11
Lucio Fontana (1899-1968)<br />
Né en Argentine en 1899 <strong>de</strong> parents italiens, Lucio Fontana s’initie à l’art aux côtés<br />
<strong>de</strong> son père sculpteur, Luigi, avant <strong>de</strong> retourner en Italie pour étudier la sculpture.<br />
Reconnu comme le fondateur du spatialisme et du mouvement radical Arte Povera,<br />
Fontana s’oppose avec force aux formes connues <strong>de</strong> l’art et à ses valeurs établies en<br />
redéfinissant l’espace pictural et le rôle <strong>de</strong> l’artiste. Peintre, sculpteur et théoricien,<br />
il crée tout un ensemble <strong>de</strong> gestes inédits afin <strong>de</strong> développer un art fondé sur l’unité<br />
<strong>de</strong> temps et d’espace. Artiste majeur du XXe siècle, ses oeuvres figurent dans <strong>les</strong><br />
collections <strong>de</strong>s plus grands musées comme le Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art à New York, le<br />
Centre Georges Pompidou à Paris, le Museum of Fine Arts à Boston. Le Musée d’Art<br />
Mo<strong>de</strong>rne <strong>de</strong> la Ville <strong>de</strong> Paris a organisé une rétrospective <strong>de</strong> son oeuvre en 2014.<br />
Born in Argentina in 1899 to Italian parents, Lucio Fontana started to learn about art<br />
from his sculptor father, Luigi, before returning to Italy to study sculpture. Known as<br />
the father of Spatialism and of the radical movement Arte Povera, Fontana protested<br />
heatedly against all well-known art forms and dogmas, re<strong>de</strong>fining the pictorial space<br />
and the role of the artist. Painter, sculptor and theorist, Fontana created a collection of<br />
never-before-seen strokes in or<strong>de</strong>r to <strong>de</strong>velop a style based on a unity of time and<br />
space. A major art figure of the 20 th century, Fontana’s works have been exhibited in the<br />
most famous museums around the world, such as the Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art in New<br />
York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.<br />
The Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art, Paris, organised a retrospective in 2014.<br />
Note :<br />
Fontana griffe, perfore, troue et lacère la surface du tableau. Il s’agit pour lui <strong>de</strong> révéler<br />
un espace au-<strong>de</strong>là <strong>de</strong> la surface plane <strong>de</strong> la toile. À la fin <strong>de</strong>s années 50, son geste <strong>de</strong><br />
lacération prend le nom <strong>de</strong> Concetto spaziale Attese pour <strong>les</strong> peintures et Concetto<br />
spaziale Natura pour <strong>les</strong> sculptures.<br />
Fontana scratches, perforates, pierces and slashes the canvas. It’s his way of revealing<br />
the space above and beyond the surface flatness. At the end of the 1950s, his way of<br />
slashing was baptised Concetto spaziale Attese for his paintings and Concetto spaziale<br />
Natura for his sculptures.<br />
Lucio Fontana<br />
Concetto spaziale, 1952<br />
Signed on the lower right<br />
Watercolour and perforations on paper<br />
48 x 58 cm I 18.9 x 22.8 in<br />
Literature<br />
Luca Massimo Barbero, Lucio Fontana Catalogo ragionato <strong>de</strong>lle opere su carta, vol. II,<br />
Skira, Milan, 2013, p. 581, no. 52 DSP 2, ill.<br />
12 13
Lucio Fontana<br />
Concetto spaziale (Teatrino), 1965<br />
Signed and titled on the reverse<br />
Waterpaint on canvas and lacquered wood frame<br />
110,5 x 110,5 cm I 43.5 x 43.5 in<br />
Literature<br />
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue raisonné <strong>de</strong>s peintures, sculptures et environnements<br />
spatiaux, vol. II, La Connaissance, Brussels, 1974, p. 168, no. 65 TE 13, ill.<br />
Enrico Crispolti, Fontana, Catalogo Generale, vol. II, Electra, Milan, 1986, p. 592, no. 65 TE 13, ill.<br />
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo ragionato di sculture, dipinti, ambientazioni, vol. II,<br />
Skira, Milan, 2006, p. 778, no. 65 TE 13, ill.<br />
15
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Sam Francis dans son atelier<br />
Sam Francis in his studio<br />
© Meibao D. Nee, courtesy of Sam Francis Foundation<br />
17
Sam Francis (1923-1994)<br />
Né en 1923 aux États-Unis, Sam Francis s’installe en France en 1950, après <strong>de</strong>s étu<strong>de</strong>s à<br />
la San Francisco School of Fine Arts. Il se lie rapi<strong>de</strong>ment d’amitié avec un grand nombre<br />
d’artistes européens, mais aussi d’artistes américains installés à Paris après la guerre<br />
comme Joan Mitchell, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Shirley Jaffe, James Bishop ou Ellsworth<br />
Kelly. Influencé par l’oeuvre <strong>de</strong> Pierre Bonnard ou Henri Matisse pour la couleur, Sam<br />
Francis crée <strong>les</strong> techniques nécessaires à une expression singulière marquée par <strong>de</strong><br />
forts enjeux spirituels. Le support <strong>de</strong> la toile <strong>de</strong>vient un espace <strong>de</strong> mise en forme subtile<br />
<strong>de</strong> la couleur et du geste libéré <strong>de</strong> toute emprise technique. Voyageur infatigable, <strong>les</strong><br />
cultures orienta<strong>les</strong> marquent profondément son oeuvre et sa vie avec notamment ses<br />
recherches sur <strong>les</strong> rapports <strong>de</strong>s vi<strong>de</strong>s et <strong>de</strong>s pleins. Sa technique énergique, souvent<br />
assimilée au tachisme, crée une peinture dont l’espace peint symbolise avec force le<br />
corps à corps <strong>de</strong> l’artiste avec la matière et ses moyens d’expression.<br />
Born in 1923 in the USA, Sam Francis moved to France in 1950 after studying at the<br />
San Francisco School of Fine Arts. He rapidly befrien<strong>de</strong>d many different European<br />
and American installation artists living in Paris after the war, such as Joan Mitchell,<br />
Jean-Paul Riopelle, Shirley Jaffe, James Bishop and Ellsworth Kelly. Influenced by the<br />
works of Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse for their use of colour, Sam Francis created<br />
techniques that produced a unique expression marked by powerfully spiritual themes.<br />
The canvas became a space where colour is subtly shaped, strokes totally freed from any<br />
technical domination. An in<strong>de</strong>fatigable traveler, his works and his life were profoundly<br />
affected by eastern cultures, especially his research on the relationship between empty<br />
and full. His energetic technique, often assimilated to tachism, created a painted space<br />
that strongly symbolised the struggle between the artist and his materials and means<br />
of expression.<br />
Note :<br />
À la suite d’une analyse jungienne avec le Docteur Kirsch en 1971, l’oeuvre <strong>de</strong> Francis<br />
intègre <strong>de</strong>s éléments oniriques et inconscients issus <strong>de</strong> ses rêves. Vivant à Tokyo et<br />
influencé par la philosophie japonaise zen et la culture bouddhiste, il crée la série Fresh<br />
Air dont <strong>les</strong> peintures ont été conçues par l’apposition aléatoire <strong>de</strong> flaques, gouttes et<br />
éclaboussures <strong>de</strong> couleur sur <strong>de</strong>s ban<strong>de</strong>s <strong>de</strong> peinture humi<strong>de</strong>s, réaffirmant l’intérêt <strong>de</strong><br />
l’artiste pour la couleur.<br />
Following a Jungian analysis with Dr. Kirsch in 1971, the works of Francis started to<br />
inclu<strong>de</strong> dreamlike elements from the subconscious. Living in Tokyo and influenced by<br />
Japanese Zen philosophy and Buddhist culture, his paintings comprising the Fresh Air<br />
series were produced in random composition of pudd<strong>les</strong>, drops and splashes of colour<br />
on bands of moist paint, reaffirming the artist’s interest in colour.<br />
Sam Francis<br />
Untitled (SF82-252), 1982<br />
Inscribed with the archive number on the reverse<br />
Acrylic on paper<br />
46 x 60 cm I 18.1 x 23.6 in<br />
Literature<br />
Michel Waldberg, Sam Francis: Métaphysique du vi<strong>de</strong>, collection Philosophie <strong>de</strong>s<br />
Arts, Éditions Francis Delille, Paris 1986, p. 98-99, ill.<br />
Certificate<br />
This work will be inclu<strong>de</strong>d in the forthcoming Catalogue raisonné of works on paper<br />
in preparation by the Sam Francis Foundation un<strong>de</strong>r the number SF82-252<br />
18 19
Sam Francis<br />
Untitled, (SFP94-52), 1994<br />
Inscribed, stamped and dated on the reverse by the Sam Francis Foundation<br />
Acrylic on canvas<br />
40,6 x 50,8 cm I 16 x 20 in<br />
Exhibited<br />
Los Ange<strong>les</strong>, Los Ange<strong>les</strong> County Museum of Art, Sam Francis: The Last Works, 25 May - 17 Sept. 1995, ill. in colour<br />
Basel, Art Basel booth 28, Galleri Faurschou, Copenhagen, The Complete (152) Paintings from the Last Studio of<br />
Sam Francis, 11-18 June 1997, ill. in colour<br />
Copenhagen, Galleri Faurschou, Sam Francis: The Last Works, 18 March - 5 June 1999; ill. pp. 12 - 13<br />
Literature<br />
Debra Burchett-Lere, Sam Francis : Catalogue Raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings, 1946 - 1994, Univeristy of<br />
California Press, Berkeley, 2011, cat no. 1726, DVD 1, ill.<br />
Certificate<br />
This artwork is registered in the archives of the Sam Francis Foundation, with the archive number SFP94-52<br />
20 21
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
André Lanskoy dans son atelier, avenue Mozart, Paris, 1959<br />
André Lanskoy in his avenue Mozart studio, Paris, 1959<br />
© Jean-Francois Bauret<br />
22 23
André ´ Lanskoy (1902-1976)<br />
Andreï Mikhaïlovitch Lanskoy est né à Moscou au sein d’une famille aristocrate.<br />
C’est en arrivant à Paris, en 1921, qu’il déci<strong>de</strong> <strong>de</strong> se consacrer exclusivement à la<br />
peinture. Des visites assidues au Louvre, la découverte <strong>de</strong> Van Gogh, Cézanne et<br />
Matisse, l’amitié <strong>de</strong> Soutine et <strong>de</strong> Larionov ainsi que sa gran<strong>de</strong> admiration pour Klee<br />
et Kandinsky, semblent être <strong>les</strong> seuls éléments déterminants <strong>de</strong> la formation <strong>de</strong> ce<br />
peintre pratiquement autodidacte. C’est tout naturellement que Lanskoy passe vers<br />
<strong>les</strong> années 1940 à l’<strong>abstraction</strong>. Il est, pendant <strong>de</strong> nombreuses années, une <strong>de</strong>s<br />
personnalités marquantes <strong>de</strong> l’École <strong>de</strong> Paris qui, à partir <strong>de</strong> 1947, refusant <strong>les</strong> rigueurs<br />
<strong>de</strong> l’Abstraction géométrique, opte pour un art non figuratif caractérisé par le lyrisme,<br />
la spontanéité du geste, l’immédiateté <strong>de</strong> l’intention, l’explosion et la révolte. Qu’ils<br />
s’inscrivent sur <strong>de</strong>s fonds noirs ou plus neutres, appliqués en larges empâtements, <strong>les</strong><br />
rouges, <strong>les</strong> jaunes, <strong>les</strong> verts, <strong>les</strong> violets, <strong>les</strong> bleus ou <strong>les</strong> oranges éclatent en évoquant<br />
un magnifique feu d’artifice.<br />
Andreï Lanskoy was born Andreï Mikhaïlovitch Lanskoy in Moscow to an aristocratic<br />
family. He arrived in Paris in 1921 and <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d to <strong>de</strong>vote his life exclusively to painting.<br />
Almost entirely self-taught, Lanskoy’s art education consisted of the inspiration of<br />
Van Gogh Cézanne and Matisse; his friendships with Soutine and Larionov and a <strong>de</strong>ep<br />
admiration for the <strong>abstraction</strong>s of Klee and Kandinsky. He spent several years involved<br />
in the Abstraction movement of the 1940s and was consi<strong>de</strong>red a leading figure of the<br />
School of Paris. Rejecting the austerity of Geometric Abstraction, Lanskoy opted for a<br />
style characterised by lyricism, gestural spontaneity and immediacy. Whether on black<br />
or neutral backdrops, applied in large batches, the reds, yellows, greens, purp<strong>les</strong>, blues<br />
and oranges all burst from the canvas, invoking a magnificent fire work of colours.<br />
Note :<br />
L’intensité et <strong>les</strong> choix <strong>de</strong>s couleurs, qui sont juxtaposées directement <strong>les</strong> unes aux<br />
autres, sont soutenues par un sens poussé <strong>de</strong> la composition et du mouvement. Ces<br />
combinaisons créent une puissante impression <strong>de</strong> dynamisme dans l’œuvre <strong>de</strong> Lanskoy.<br />
The intensity and sha<strong>de</strong>s of the colours, the richness of the composition and the<br />
movement create a powerful and dynamic impression in the works of Lanskoy.<br />
André Lanskoy<br />
La Lutte <strong>de</strong>s contrastes, 1966<br />
Signed and dated on the lower right and signed again on the lower left, titled and<br />
dated on the reverse<br />
Oil on canvas<br />
46 x 55 cm I 18.1 x 21.7 in<br />
Certificate<br />
André Schoeller has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
24 25
André Lanskoy<br />
Composition<br />
Signed on the upper right<br />
Gouache on paper<br />
25 x 65 cm I 9.8 x 25.6 in<br />
Certificate<br />
André Schoeller has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
27
André Lanskoy<br />
Untitled<br />
Signed on the lower left<br />
Oil on paper<br />
63 x 48 cm I 24.8 x 18.9 in<br />
28 29
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Atelier <strong>de</strong> Pino Manos, Florence, 1950-60<br />
PIno Manos’ studio in Florence, 1950-60<br />
31
Pino Manos (b. 1930)<br />
Né en 1930 à Sassari, en Italie, Pino Manos s’installe à Milan en 1951 pour integrer à<br />
l’Académie <strong>de</strong>s Beaux Arts <strong>de</strong> Brera, avec Enrico Castellani et Vincenzo Agnetti. Ami<br />
<strong>de</strong> Roberto Crippa, <strong>de</strong> Gianni Dova, <strong>de</strong> Marino Marini, d’Augustino Bonalumi et surtout<br />
<strong>de</strong> Lucio Fontana, il a adhéré au mouvement Spatialisme. En 1962, il a été appelé à<br />
Londres, avec trente <strong>de</strong>s artistes <strong>les</strong> plus éminents en Europe pour prendre part au<br />
Manifeste Europe 1962 : Peinture et Sculpture organisée par la New Vision Center<br />
Gallery. Pino Manos prend part à <strong>de</strong> nombreuses expositions solo et <strong>de</strong> groupe en Italie<br />
et à l’international. Aujourd’hui, ses œuvres ont intégré <strong>de</strong> nombreuses collections<br />
publiques et privées, en Italie et à l’international, dont la Nelson Rockefeller Collection<br />
<strong>de</strong> New York qui détient trois <strong>de</strong> ses œuvres.<br />
Born in Sassari, Italy, in 1930 Pino Manos moved to Milan in 1951 to attend the<br />
Acca<strong>de</strong>mia di Belle Arti di Brera, along with Enrico Castellani and Vincenzo Agnetti.<br />
A friend of Roberto Crippa, Gianni Dova, Marino Marini, Augustino Bonalumi and<br />
especially of Lucio Fontana, he adhered to the Spatialism movement. In 1962 he was<br />
called to London, along with thirty of the most eminent artists in Europe to be part of<br />
the Manifesto Europe 1962 : Painting and Sculpture organised by the New Vision Centre<br />
Gallery as the basis of the emerging European Union. Manos participated in numerous<br />
solo and group exhibitions in Italy and other parts of the world. His works are in several<br />
private and public collections in Italy and abroad. Three of his works feature in the<br />
Nelson Rockefeller collection in New York, USA.<br />
Note :<br />
Les compositions <strong>de</strong> Pino Manos sont nées <strong>de</strong> la <strong>de</strong>xtérité originelle <strong>de</strong> l’artisan :<br />
<strong>de</strong>s rubans <strong>de</strong> toi<strong>les</strong> raidis <strong>de</strong> colle, <strong>de</strong>s structures monochromatiques saillantes<br />
convoquant altérations et vibrations optiques, <strong>de</strong>s résonnances synchroniques au-<strong>de</strong>là<br />
du visible et une continuité <strong>de</strong> variations perceptib<strong>les</strong> en fonction du positionnement<br />
<strong>de</strong> l’observateur.<br />
Pino Manos’ compositions are created with the original skill of the craftsman: ribbons<br />
of canvas stiffened with glue, extroflected monochromatic structures that solicit optical<br />
shiftings and vibrations, synchronic resonances beyond the visible and continuous<br />
perceptive variations <strong>de</strong>pending on one’s point of observation.<br />
Pino Manos<br />
Sincronicità nera energetica, 2016<br />
Signed, titled and dated on the reverse<br />
Mixed media on canvas<br />
95 x 135 cm I 37.4 x 53.1 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The artist has confirmed the authenticity of the work<br />
32 33
Pino Manos<br />
Sincronico bianco, 2014<br />
Signed, titled and dated on the reverse<br />
Mixed media on canvas<br />
70 x 210 cm I 27.6 x 82.7 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The artist has confirmed the authenticity of the work<br />
34 35
Pino Manos<br />
Sincronicità armonica gran<strong>de</strong> rosso fuoco, 2017<br />
Signed, titled and dated on the reverse<br />
Mixed media on canvas<br />
140 x 196 cm I 55.1 x 77.2 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The artist has confirmed the authenticity of the work<br />
36 37
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Georges Mathieu dans son atelier, décembre 1955<br />
Georges Mathieu in his studio, December 1955<br />
© Manuel Litran, Paris Match Archives<br />
38 39
Georges Mathieu (1921-2012)<br />
Georges Mathieu est né à Boulogne-sur-Mer en 1921. Après <strong>de</strong>s étu<strong>de</strong>s <strong>de</strong> droit et <strong>de</strong><br />
philosophie, Georges Mathieu s’oriente vers la peinture en 1942. Il est considéré comme<br />
le chef <strong>de</strong> file du mouvement d’après-guerre intitulé Abstraction lyrique en France<br />
ou Action Painting aux États-Unis - un mouvement qui connait son apogée dans <strong>les</strong><br />
années 1950 et 1960, et qui donne naissance à une ère <strong>de</strong> collaborations artistiques<br />
fécon<strong>de</strong>s avec <strong>de</strong> nombreux ému<strong>les</strong>, dont Jackson Pollock. La gestuelle spontanée et<br />
la rapidité d’exécution en sont <strong>les</strong> moteurs. Défenseur radical <strong>de</strong> la culture, Mathieu<br />
développe avec véhémence ses théories en faveur d’une forte présence <strong>de</strong> l’art dans<br />
<strong>les</strong> institutions publiques, qui font partie intégrante <strong>de</strong> son héritage aux côtés <strong>de</strong> ses<br />
contributions à la peinture, la tapisserie, la publicité et l’architecture. La mise en place<br />
d’une écriture picturale abstraite annonce l’apparition du graffiti mo<strong>de</strong>rne et a été<br />
mentionnée comme une <strong>de</strong>s inspirations à l’origine du mouvement artistique japonais<br />
Gutai.<br />
Georges Mathieu was a French abstract painter born in 1921, in Boulogne-sur-Mer. He<br />
began painting in 1942 after studying law and philosophy. He is consi<strong>de</strong>red the lea<strong>de</strong>r<br />
of the post-war artistic movement known in France as Abstraction Lyrique and in the<br />
United States as Action Painting, a movement that peaked in the 1950s and 1960s and<br />
gave birth to an entire era of prolific artistic collaborations and discip<strong>les</strong> like Jackson<br />
Pollock. The movement is marked by spontaneous gestural and speed of execution.<br />
A radical <strong>de</strong>fen<strong>de</strong>r of culture, Mathieu vehemently <strong>de</strong>veloped his theories in favour of<br />
fostering a powerful artistic presence in public institutions; part of his legacy, alongsi<strong>de</strong><br />
his contributions to painting, tapestry, advertising and architecture. The arrival of such<br />
an abstract, pictorial style announced the appearance of mo<strong>de</strong>rn graffiti art and has<br />
been mentioned as one of the original inspiring drivers of the Japanese artistic group,<br />
Gutai.<br />
Note :<br />
Gorgias fait partie <strong>de</strong>s oeuvres emblématiques <strong>de</strong> l’art gestuel <strong>de</strong> Georges Mathieu.<br />
Véritable écriture calligraphique, la rapidité d’exécution permet à l’artiste <strong>de</strong> libérer sa<br />
main à partir d’une zone centrale du support. Les couleurs restreintes accentuent la<br />
présence <strong>de</strong> la matière.<br />
Gorgias is part of the artist’s production that best symbolises Georges Mathieu’s<br />
gestural art. Truly calligraphic, the speed of execution allows the artist to free his hand<br />
starting from a central zone of support. The restricted colours accentuate the presence<br />
of the material.<br />
Georges Mathieu<br />
Gorgias, 1958<br />
Signed and dated on the lower left, titled on the strecher<br />
Oil on canvas<br />
98 x 162 cm I 38.6 x 63.8 in<br />
Exhibited<br />
New York, Kootz Gallery, Mathieu, Paintings of 1958 - 14 toi<strong>les</strong> en hommage aux<br />
philosophes présocratiques, April 1959<br />
Certificate<br />
The Comité Georges Mathieu has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
40 41
Georges Mathieu<br />
Mort <strong>de</strong> Néron, 1957<br />
Signed and dated on the lower left, titled on the strecher<br />
Oil on canvas<br />
95 x 162 cm I 37.4 x 63.8 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The Comité Georges Mathieu has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
42 43
Georges Mathieu<br />
Orages soumis, 1988<br />
Signed on the lower left and titled on the strecher<br />
Alky<strong>de</strong> on canvas<br />
146 x 114 cm I 57.5 x 44.9 in<br />
Exhibited<br />
Knokke-le-Zoute, Gallery Guy Pieters, Georges Mathieu, 14 August - 4 September 1988<br />
Literature<br />
Georges Mathieu, 50 ans <strong>de</strong> création, Hervas, Paris, 2003, p. 516<br />
Certificate<br />
The Comité Georges Mathieu has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
44 45
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Joan Miró dans son atelier, 1968<br />
Joan Miró in his studio, 1968<br />
© Francesc Català-Roca<br />
46 47
Joan Miró (1893-1983)<br />
Joan Miró est un artiste espagnol né en 1893, reconnu comme l’un <strong>de</strong>s artistes <strong>les</strong><br />
plus influents <strong>de</strong> l’ère mo<strong>de</strong>rne. Miró a grandi dans une famille d’artisans où il a reçu<br />
une éducation artistique. Dès son plus jeune âge, Miró manifeste un vif intérêt pour<br />
l’art et commençe à suivre <strong>de</strong>s cours <strong>de</strong> <strong>de</strong>ssin à l’âge <strong>de</strong> 7 ans. Miró s’inscrit ensuite<br />
à l’Académie <strong>de</strong>s Beaux-Arts <strong>de</strong> La Llotja, puis au Cercle Artistique <strong>de</strong> Sant Lluc. En<br />
1918, Miró réalise sa première exposition personnelle à Barcelone, après laquelle il<br />
déménage à Paris en 1921, afin d’intégrer la communauté artistique qui s’est réunie<br />
à Montparnasse. C’est lors <strong>de</strong> son séjour à Paris qu’il rencontre André Breton; l’une<br />
<strong>de</strong>s figures marquantes du surréalisme, qui l’encourage à rejoindre le groupe. Bien<br />
que Miró ait d’abord peint <strong>de</strong>s natures mortes et <strong>de</strong>s paysages, ce déménagement à<br />
Paris s’est avéré être un changement fondamental concernant sa technique, son style<br />
et sa composition. Exposé et réceptif aux influences du fauvisme, du cubisme, du<br />
surréalisme et <strong>de</strong> Dada, Miró refuse <strong>de</strong> classer son art dans un mouvement précis. Des<br />
traits audacieusement colorés, <strong>de</strong>s formes biomorphiques, <strong>de</strong>s formes géométriques,<br />
<strong>de</strong>s objets semi-abstraits sont progressivement apparus pour finalement définir le style<br />
<strong>de</strong> Miró, un style comme une signature qui rend le travail <strong>de</strong> l’artiste si reconnaissable.<br />
Au cours <strong>de</strong> sa vie et <strong>de</strong> manière posthume, <strong>les</strong> œuvres <strong>de</strong> cet artiste internationalement<br />
reconnus ont été abondamment exposé à travers le mon<strong>de</strong>. À l’occasion du centenaire<br />
<strong>de</strong> sa naissance, <strong>de</strong> nombreuses gran<strong>de</strong>s rétrospectives ont eu lieu dans <strong>de</strong>s musées<br />
prestigieux. Miró a continué d’exercer son influence dans l’art mo<strong>de</strong>rne, notamment<br />
dans <strong>les</strong> œuvres d’artistes expressionnistes abstraits tels que Pollock, Frankenthaler<br />
ou Rothko. Sincèrement appréciée par <strong>les</strong> collectionneurs d’art pour sa singularité,<br />
l’œuvre <strong>de</strong> Miró reste aujourd’hui très recherchée.<br />
Joan Miró was a Spanish artist born in 1893. Miró is recognised as one of the most<br />
influential artists of the mo<strong>de</strong>rn era. Miró grew up in a family of craftsmenwho immersed<br />
him in art and creativity. From a young age, Miró displayed a keen interest in art and<br />
began attending drawing classes at the ten<strong>de</strong>r age of 7. Later he was enrolled in the<br />
Fine Arts Aca<strong>de</strong>my at La Llotja, followed by the Artistic Cercle of Sant Lluc. In 1918,<br />
Miró had his first solo exhibition in Barcelona after which he moved to Paris in 1921,<br />
so that he could be part of the art community that has gathered in Montparnasse.<br />
It was during his stay in Paris that he encountered André Breton; one of the leading<br />
figures in Surrealism, who lead Miró to join the Surrealist group - though not as an<br />
official member so that he could explore other forms and school of artistic expression.<br />
Though Miró initially painted still life and landscape, this move to Paris proved to be a<br />
pivotal change regarding his technique, style and composition. Exposed and receptive<br />
to influences from Fauvism to Cubism, Surrealism, and Dada, Miró refused to let his art<br />
be categorised into a precise movement. Boldly coloured strokes, biomorphic forms,<br />
geometric shapes, semi-abstract objects, gradually came to <strong>de</strong>fine Miró’s signature style<br />
represented in his art. During Miró’s lifetime and after, the works of this internationally<br />
acclaimed artist have exhibited extensively around the world with many large<br />
retrospective exhibitions at prestigious museums <strong>de</strong>voted to his works notably on the<br />
centenary anniversary of his birth. Miró has continued to exert his influence in mo<strong>de</strong>rn<br />
art, notably in the works of Abstract Expressionist artists such as Pollock Frankenthaler<br />
and Rothko. Sincerely appreciated by art collectors for his unique oeuvre, Miró’s works<br />
remain highly sought after.<br />
Joan Miró<br />
Untitled (Essencies <strong>de</strong> la terra), 7 October 1968<br />
Signed, dated and <strong>de</strong>dicated on the lower right<br />
Pastel and coloured crayons on paper<br />
49 x 38 cm I 19.3 x 15 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Jacques Dupin from the ADOM<br />
(Association pour la Défense <strong>de</strong> l’Œuvre <strong>de</strong> Miró)<br />
48<br />
49
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Serge Poliakoff dans son atelier, 1956<br />
Serge Poliakoff in his studio, 1956<br />
© John Lefevre<br />
50 51
Serge Poliakoff (1900-1969)<br />
Serge Poliakoff est né à Moscou en 1900. C’est un artiste majeur <strong>de</strong> l’École <strong>de</strong> Paris,<br />
soutenu par <strong>les</strong> plus grands historiens <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong> tels que Char<strong>les</strong> Estienne,<br />
Michel Ragon ou Dora Vallier. Poliakoff a su, par l’intermédiaire <strong>de</strong> ses marchands<br />
Denise René et Dina Vierny, éveiller l’intérêt <strong>de</strong> nombreux collectionneurs privés et<br />
s’imposer aux yeux <strong>de</strong> tous comme un peintre radicalement mo<strong>de</strong>rne. Poliakoff quitte<br />
Moscou pendant la révolution russe <strong>de</strong> 1917 ; il voyage <strong>de</strong> Constantinople à Paris durant<br />
6 ans, subvenant à ses besoins en jouant <strong>de</strong> la guitare. À Paris, il étudie à l’Académie<br />
<strong>de</strong> la Gran<strong>de</strong> Chaumière, où il travaille un style académique classique. Lors d’un voyage<br />
à Londres en 1935, il découvre l’art égyptien et ses <strong>abstraction</strong>s et est influencé par<br />
le travail <strong>de</strong> Vassily Kandinsky, Robert Delaunay et Otto Freundlich, l’amenant alors<br />
à développer son propre style <strong>de</strong> peinture abstraite qui combine plusieurs zones<br />
<strong>de</strong> couleurs. Dans <strong>les</strong> années 1940, sa palette se limite à <strong>de</strong>s nuances <strong>de</strong> gris et <strong>de</strong><br />
noir, alors que dans <strong>les</strong> années 1950, il y inclut <strong>de</strong>s couleurs vives. Durant <strong>les</strong> années<br />
1960, Poliakoff est un peintre reconnu et investit une pièce entière lors <strong>de</strong> la Biennale<br />
<strong>de</strong> Venise en 1962. À la fin <strong>de</strong> sa vie, ses troub<strong>les</strong> <strong>de</strong> santé le conduisent à réaliser<br />
<strong>de</strong>s peintures et <strong>de</strong>s lithographies à plus petite échelle. Il meurt à Paris en 1969. En<br />
2013-2014, le Musée d’Art Mo<strong>de</strong>rne <strong>de</strong> la Ville <strong>de</strong> Paris lui consacre une magnifique<br />
rétrospective intitulée Le rêve <strong>de</strong>s formes.<br />
Serge Poliakoff was born in Moscow in 1900. He was a major artist of the School of<br />
Paris, supported by the greatest historians of abstract art such as Char<strong>les</strong> Estienne,<br />
Michel Ragon or Dora Vallier. Poliakoff succee<strong>de</strong>d, through his <strong>de</strong>alers Denise Rene<br />
and Dina Vierny, to pick the interest of many private collectors and imposed himself<br />
in the eyes of all as a <strong>de</strong>finitely mo<strong>de</strong>rn painter. Poliakoff left Moscow, his hometown,<br />
during the Russian revolution of 1917; he traveled from Constantinople to Paris for 6<br />
years, supporting himself by playing the guitar. In Paris, he studied at the Académie<br />
<strong>de</strong> la Gran<strong>de</strong> Chaumière, where he worked in a classical aca<strong>de</strong>mic style. During a trip<br />
to London in 1935, he discovered Egyptian art and its <strong>abstraction</strong>s and was influenced<br />
by the work of Wassily Kandinsky, Robert Delaunay and Otto Freundlich. Theses<br />
references lead him to <strong>de</strong>velop his own style of abstract painting that combined several<br />
colour areas. In the 1940s, his colour palette was limited to sha<strong>de</strong>s of grays and black,<br />
while in the 1950s he inclu<strong>de</strong>d bright colours. During the 1960s, Poliakoff was already<br />
a recognised painter and exhibited in a whole space at the Venice Biennale in 1962. At<br />
the end of his life, he suffered from health problems, which impacted the productivity<br />
of his paintings and lithographs. He died in Paris in 1969. In 2013-2014, the Museum of<br />
Mo<strong>de</strong>rn Art of the City of Paris produced a tremendous Serge Poliakoff retrospective<br />
called Le rêve <strong>de</strong>s formes (A Dream of Forms).<br />
Serge Poliakoff<br />
Composition murale, 1966<br />
Signed on the lower right<br />
Tempera on paper laid on canvas<br />
100 x 80,4 cm I 39.4 x 31.5 in<br />
Exhibited<br />
Reims, Maison <strong>de</strong> la Culture André Malraux, Serge Poliakoff, May - July 1971<br />
Milano, Centro Rizzoli, Serge Poliakoff, February - March 1972<br />
Lisbon, Galeria S. Mamè<strong>de</strong>, Poliakoff, November - December 1972<br />
Rome, Galleria Editalia, Serge Poliakoff, October - November 1973<br />
Tehran, Centre International <strong>de</strong>s Arts, 1er Salon International <strong>de</strong>s Arts AFAA, March 1975<br />
Hovikod<strong>de</strong>n, Sonja Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, Poliakoff, February - March 1976<br />
St. Gallen, Galerie im Erker, Serge Poliakoff, June - October 1996<br />
Literature<br />
Alexis Poliakoff, Serge Poliakoff, Catalogue raisonné, Volume V, 1966-1969, Éditions Galerie Française, Paris 2016, p. 90, ill.<br />
Giuseppe Marchiori, Serge Poliakoff, Les Presses <strong>de</strong> La Connaissance, 1976, p. 7, ill.<br />
Marie Victoire Poliakoff, Serge Poliakoff mon grand-père, Éditions du Chêne, Paris 2011, p. 212, ill.<br />
52<br />
53
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Turi Simeti, New York, 1968<br />
54 55
Turi Simeti (b. 1929)<br />
Turi Simeti est né à Alcamo, en Italie, en 1929. Formé dans l’atelier d’Alberto Burri, il<br />
s’oriente progressivement vers une peinture monochrome. Influencé par le mouvement<br />
ZERO, il participe à <strong>de</strong> nombreuses expositions du groupe dans <strong>les</strong> années 60 aux<br />
côtés <strong>de</strong> Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani, Piero Manzoni et Agostino Bonalumi. Ses<br />
œuvres volontairement minimaliste s’organisent autour <strong>de</strong> différentes formes ova<strong>les</strong> en<br />
relief sur la toile. Ses oeuvres figurent dans <strong>de</strong> nombreuses collections dont le MAM<br />
Musée d’Art Mo<strong>de</strong>rne <strong>de</strong> Rio <strong>de</strong> Janeiro au Brésil, le Museo d’Arte Mo<strong>de</strong>rna di Bolzano<br />
en Italie et le Wilhelm-Hack-Museum <strong>de</strong> Ludwigshafen en Allemagne.<br />
Turi Simeti was born in Alcamo, Italy in 1929. Educated in Alberto Burri’s studio, he<br />
progressively turned to monochromatic paintings. Influenced by the ZERO movement,<br />
Simeti participated in several group exhibitions in the 1960s alongsi<strong>de</strong> Lucio Fontana,<br />
Enrico Castellani, Piero Manzoni and Agostino Bonalumi. His purposefully minimalist<br />
art is organised around different oval shapes in relief on the canvas. His works are<br />
exhibited in numerous museum collections including the MAM Museum of Mo<strong>de</strong>rn<br />
Art of Rio <strong>de</strong> Janeiro in Brazil, the Museo d’Arte Mo<strong>de</strong>rna di Bolzano in Italy and the<br />
Wilhelm-Hack-Museum of Ludwigshafen in Germany..<br />
Note :<br />
De conception minimaliste, <strong>les</strong> oeuvres <strong>de</strong> Simeti explorent la dynamique <strong>de</strong> la surface<br />
monochrome à travers <strong>de</strong>s formes ova<strong>les</strong> qui se dégagent du support <strong>de</strong> la toile grâce<br />
à un jeu <strong>de</strong> pièces <strong>de</strong> bois fixées sur le châssis. L’essence du travail <strong>de</strong> Simeti est une<br />
organisation modulaire <strong>de</strong> la surface peinte et plane que met en perspective la lumière.<br />
Minimalist pieces of art, the works of Simeti explore the dynamic of the monochrome<br />
surface through oval shapes that stem from the canvas’ support, thanks to his subtle<br />
use of pieces of wood fixed onto the frame. The essence of Simeti’s work is a modular<br />
organisation of a monochrome, flat surface that puts light into perspective.<br />
Turi Simeti<br />
5 ovali rossi, 2015<br />
Signed and dated on the reverse<br />
Acrylic on shaped canvas<br />
120 x 200 cm I 47.2 x 78.7 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The Archivio Turi Simeti has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
56<br />
57
Turi Simeti<br />
6 Ovali bianchi, 2015<br />
Signed and dated on the reverse<br />
Acrylic on shaped canvas<br />
120 x 120 cm I 47.2 x 47.2 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The Archivio Turi Simeti has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
58 59
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Antonio Saura dans son atelier <strong>de</strong> la rue San Pedro, Cuenca, 1962<br />
Antonio Saura in his studio of San Pedro’s street, Cuenca, 1962<br />
© Antonio Saura<br />
60 61
Antonio Saura (1930-1998)<br />
Antonio Saura naît à Huesca en 1930. Il commence à peindre et à écrire en 1947 à<br />
Madrid, alors qu’il est atteint par la tuberculose et immobilisé durant cinq années. Ses<br />
premières recherches et expériences pictura<strong>les</strong> se revendiquent <strong>de</strong> l’influence <strong>de</strong> Jean<br />
Arp et <strong>de</strong> Yves Tanguy. Dès 1956, Saura entreprend le registre <strong>de</strong> ses gran<strong>de</strong>s séries,<br />
Dames, Nus, Autoportraits, Suaires, Crucifixions qu’il peint tant sur toile que sur papier.<br />
En 1957, il fon<strong>de</strong> à Madrid le groupe El Paso. À cette pério<strong>de</strong>, Saura rencontre Michel<br />
Tapié et réalise sa première exposition individuelle chez Rodolphe Stadler à Paris; ce<br />
<strong>de</strong>rnier l’exposera régulièrement durant sa vie et l’introduira auprès <strong>de</strong>s galeristes Otto<br />
van <strong>de</strong> Loo à Munich et Pierre Matisse à New York. Saura va ensuite limiter sa palette<br />
aux noirs, aux gris et aux bruns. Il s’affirme alors dans un style propre et indépendant<br />
<strong>de</strong>s mouvements et <strong>de</strong>s tendances <strong>de</strong> sa génération. Dès 1959, Saura est l’auteur<br />
d’une œuvre imprimée prolifique. Il illustre <strong>de</strong> manière originale <strong>de</strong> nombreux ouvrages<br />
tels que Don Quijote <strong>de</strong> Cervantes, 1984 <strong>de</strong> Orwell, Pinocchio dans l’adaptation <strong>de</strong><br />
Nöstlinger, Tagebücher <strong>de</strong> Kafka, Trois visions <strong>de</strong> Quevedo, et bien d’autres. En 1960,<br />
Saura commence à sculpter et crée <strong>de</strong>s œuvres composées d’éléments <strong>de</strong> métal<br />
soudés représentant la figure humaine, <strong>de</strong>s personnages et <strong>de</strong>s crucifixions. En 1967, il<br />
s’installe définitivement à Paris et s’engage dans l’opposition à la dictature franquiste.<br />
Saura continue aussi d’amplifier son registre thématique et pictural. Apparaissent,<br />
avec <strong>les</strong> Femme-fauteuil, <strong>les</strong> séries <strong>de</strong>s Portraits imaginaires, <strong>de</strong>s Chiens <strong>de</strong> Goya et<br />
<strong>de</strong>s Portraits imaginaires <strong>de</strong> Goya. Dès 1977, Saura entreprend la publication <strong>de</strong> ses<br />
écrits et réalise plusieurs scénographies pour le théâtre, le ballet et l’opéra. À partir<br />
<strong>de</strong> cette pério<strong>de</strong> et jusqu’à sa mort à l’âge <strong>de</strong> 68 ans, Saura reprend et développe<br />
magistralement l’ensemble <strong>de</strong> ses thèmes et figures, et produit, peut-être, la meilleure<br />
partie <strong>de</strong> son œuvre.<br />
Antonio Saura was born in Huesca in 1930. He started painting and writing in 1947<br />
in Madrid, confined for five years due to tuberculosis. His first pursuits and visual<br />
experimentations were influenced by Jean Arp and Yves Tanguy. Since 1956, Saura<br />
started his grand series - Dames, Nus, Autoportraits, Suaires, Crucifixions – that he<br />
painted both on canvas and on paper. He foun<strong>de</strong>d the El Paso group in Madrid in 1957.<br />
During that time, Saura met Michel Tapié and held his first solo exhibition at Rodolphe<br />
Stadler’s in Paris who would regularly exhibit Saura’s works during his lifetime and<br />
introduced him to other gallerists such as Otto van <strong>de</strong> Loo in Munich and Pierre Matisse<br />
in New York. Following this, Saura limited his colour palette to blacks, grays and<br />
browns. Antonio Saura have then <strong>de</strong>veloped a unique style in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nt of the artistic<br />
movements and trends of his generation. Since 1959, Saura became a prolific author of<br />
printed works. He would go on to illustrate in a very original way various monographs<br />
such as Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Orwell’s 1984, Nöstlinger’s version of Pinocchio,<br />
Kakfa’s Diaries, The Vision of Quevedo and many more. In 1960, Saura started sculpting<br />
and created composite works from wel<strong>de</strong>d metal parts representing the human body,<br />
figures and crucifixions. In 1967, he settled <strong>de</strong>finitely in Paris and became engaged in<br />
the opposition against Francoist dictatorship. Saura continues to enlarge his thematic<br />
and visual registers. The Femme-fauteuil, the Portraits imaginaires series, the Chiens<br />
<strong>de</strong> Goya and Portraits imaginaires <strong>de</strong> Goya see the day. Saura started publishing his<br />
writings and composed scenography for theatre, ballet and opera as early as 1977.<br />
Since that time until his passing at the age of 68 years old, Saura revisited and further<br />
<strong>de</strong>velopped systematically the whole of his themes and figures and thus produced,<br />
perhaps, the best part of his work.<br />
Antonio Saura<br />
Sans titre, 1977<br />
Signed on the lower right<br />
Mixed media on board<br />
44 x 33 cm I 17.3 x 13 in<br />
62<br />
63
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l’<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Les maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong><br />
Pierre Soulages dans son atelier, 1968<br />
Pierre Soulages in his studio, 1968<br />
© Fritz Pitz<br />
64 65
Pierre Soulages (b. 1919)<br />
Originaire <strong>de</strong> la région rocheuse <strong>de</strong> l’Aveyron, Pierre Soulages grandit dans un<br />
environnement empreint <strong>de</strong> vestiges préhistoriques et d’art roman, <strong>les</strong>quels ont une<br />
profon<strong>de</strong> influence sur son oeuvre à venir. En 1938, il s’installe temporairement à Paris<br />
où il découvre le travail <strong>de</strong> ses prédécesseurs, dont Picasso et Cézanne. Il tente le<br />
concours <strong>de</strong> l’École <strong>de</strong>s Beaux-Arts mais s’en détourne très rapi<strong>de</strong>ment. Sa carrière<br />
<strong>de</strong> peintre commence véritablement en 1946 lorsqu’il déménage définitivement à Paris<br />
accompagné <strong>de</strong> son inséparable épouse Colette. En l’espace d’un an, il se fait connaître<br />
pour ses audacieuses œuvres abstraites en résonnance avec cel<strong>les</strong> d’Hans Hartung<br />
ou <strong>de</strong> Gérard Schnei<strong>de</strong>r. Ne se réclamant d’aucun mouvement artistique et d’aucun<br />
programme préétabli, il explore <strong>de</strong>s moyens d’expression inédits et développe son<br />
propre langage pictural autour <strong>de</strong> sa volonté affichée <strong>de</strong> matérialiser la lumière. Pierre<br />
Soulages est l’un <strong>de</strong>s pionniers <strong>de</strong> la peinture abstraite d’après-guerre et il fait partie<br />
<strong>de</strong>s artistes <strong>les</strong> plus novateurs du XXe siècle.<br />
Originally from the rocky region of Aveyron, France, Pierre Soulages grew up in an<br />
environment cradled in prehistoric and Roman art, profoundly influencing the works he<br />
would later produce. In 1938, Soulages came to Paris where he discovered the work of<br />
pre<strong>de</strong>cessors such as Picasso and Cézanne. He tried to get in to the Parisian School of<br />
Fine Arts but changed his mind very quickly. The artist’s career took off in 1946 when he<br />
and his wife, Colette, <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong>d to permanently settle in Paris. He quickly ma<strong>de</strong> a name<br />
for himself with his bold abstract creations that resonated with those of Hans Hartung<br />
and Gérard Schnei<strong>de</strong>r. As the artist claimed to follow no specific artistic movement<br />
nor any pre-established programme, he explored very novel means of expression and<br />
<strong>de</strong>veloped his own pictorial language around his outspoken <strong>de</strong>sire to materialize light.<br />
Pierre Soulages is one of the pioneers of post-war abstract painting and is consi<strong>de</strong>red<br />
one of the most innovative painters of the 20 th century.<br />
Note :<br />
À partir <strong>de</strong> 1979, Soulages se consacre à ce qu’il nomme ‘l’outrenoir’ : « Je travaille<br />
avec la lumière réfléchie par la surface du noir. La lumière est dynamisée par <strong>les</strong><br />
coups <strong>de</strong> brosses ». Selon l’épaisseur <strong>de</strong> la matière et ses modalités d’application, le<br />
positionnement <strong>de</strong> l’observateur, <strong>les</strong> inci<strong>de</strong>nces <strong>de</strong> la lumière varient fortement.<br />
As of 1979, Soulages <strong>de</strong>voted himself to what he called ‘outrenoir’ (ultra-black). “I work<br />
with the light reflected off a black surface. Light is ma<strong>de</strong> more dynamic by the strokes.”<br />
The effect of the light, which can vary greatly, <strong>de</strong>pends on the thickness of the material,<br />
the way the artist applies it and the spectator’s position in front of the canvas.<br />
Pierre Soulages<br />
Peinture, 102 x 130 cm, 11 mars 2016<br />
Signed, titled and dated on the reverse<br />
Oil on canvas<br />
102 x 130 cm I 40.2 x 51.2 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The artist has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
66 67
Pierre Soulages<br />
Peinture, 296 x 165 cm, 4 janvier 2014<br />
Signed and dated on the reverse<br />
Acrylic on canvas<br />
296 x 165 cm I 116.5 x 65 in<br />
Certificate<br />
The artist has confirmed the authenticity of this work<br />
69
Published by Opera Gallery to coinci<strong>de</strong> with the exhibition Pablo Atchugarry (et <strong>les</strong> maîtres <strong>de</strong> l'<strong>abstraction</strong>), 1-22 June 2018, Paris<br />
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Cover : Lucio Fontana, Concetto Spaziale, 1952 (<strong>de</strong>tail)<br />
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