Contemporary art New School of Paris
Henri-Georges Adam was a French engraver and non-figurative sculptor of the École de Paris, who was also involved in the creation of numerous monumental tapestries. His work in these three areas is regarded as among the most extensive of the twentieth century.
Bernard Buffet was a French artist renowned for his distinctive style of painting, printmaking, and sculpture. His work, characterized by expressive, angular lines and somber themes, has captivated collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide. Buffet's art, deeply influenced by the post-war period in France, reflects themes of despair, loneliness, and the human condition, often portrayed through his iconic clowns and desolate landscapes. His approach to art, marked by stark compositions and a vivid portrayal of existential angst, positioned him as a leading figure in the modern expressionist movement.
Buffet's career was meteoric from its onset; by his early twenties, he was celebrated alongside cultural icons of the time, earning him a spot among the "Fabulous Five" of post-war France. Despite his early acclaim, Buffet's later years were marked by controversy and a decline in popularity, as shifts in artistic trends and criticism over his lifestyle choices overshadowed his contributions. Nevertheless, his work remained prolific, with more than 8,000 paintings to his name, illustrating an unwavering commitment to his art until his tragic death in 1999.
Today, Bernard Buffet's legacy is undergoing a renaissance, with a renewed appreciation for his artistic achievements. Exhibitions and retrospectives across the globe, particularly in Japan and Europe, have reignited interest in his oeuvre, showcasing the enduring relevance of his work. Notably, the Bernard Buffet Museum in Japan, founded during his lifetime, stands as a testament to his impact and the global admiration for his art.
For collectors and experts in the field of art and antiques, Buffet's work offers a unique insight into the complexities of the human psyche and the existential dilemmas of the 20th century. His ability to evoke profound emotional responses through his distinctive visual language makes his work highly sought after in the art market today.
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Jean Degottex was a French painter and a pioneer of lyrical abstraction.
Self-taught, in the army in Tunisia and Algeria when he was in his early 20s, Jean painted his first figurative paintings influenced by Fauvism. In 1951, Degottex was awarded the Kandinsky Prize, and from 1954 he began to paint in the style of gesture abstraction. He was also particularly inspired by East Asian calligraphy and Zen philosophy.
Degottex painted large-scale works, often in series, and in the 1970s began experimenting with paper art, folding and tearing paper. His work has always been characterized by extreme minimalism, and the artist meditates for a long time before starting to draw.
Stanley William Hayter was a British painter, graphic artist and art theorist.
Hayter graduated from King's College, London, having studied chemistry and geology, and began working in the laboratory of Samuel Smiles on organic sulfur compounds. After receiving a contract from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, he worked in Iran, and in his spare time he painted portraits of friends, landscapes, views of oil developments, ships... In 1926 he enrolled at the Académie Julian, and in addition to painting, he took up etching. In 1927 Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris, which was visited by all the famous contemporary artists.
In 1940 Hayter and his sculptor wife moved to the United States, where he moved his studio. Hayter's painting during these years shifted from Surrealism to a style increasingly dominated by automatism and linear structure. Pensive, black lines dominate many of the works, and mythological themes play an increasing role. Hayter played a leading role in the formation of the art that came to be known as Abstract Expressionism.
In 1950, the artist returned to Paris, where at his Atelier 17 he taught painting and drawing, developed new gravure color printing techniques, and published books on the theory of graphics and printmaking.
Pierre Soulages was a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor. In 2014, François Hollande described him as "the world's greatest living artist."
Soulages is known as "the painter of black," owing to his interest in the colour "both as a colour and a non-colour. When light is reflected on black, it transforms and transmutes it. It opens a mental field all its own." He saw light as a work material; striations of the black surface of his paintings enable him to reflect light, allowing the black to come out of darkness and into brightness, thus becoming a luminous colour.
Árpád Szenes (also French: Árpád Szenès), a Hungarian-Jewish abstract painter, left an indelible mark on the world of art, primarily in France. Born in Budapest in 1897, his early life was marked by exposure to renowned artists like Arthur Bárdos and a deep passion for drawing. World War I saw him painting portraits on soldiers' graves, catching the eye of sculptor Dezső Bokros Birman, who nudged him toward modern art. Szenes then joined the free school of József Rippl-Rónai, where he was influenced by Béla Iványi-Grünwald and Károly Kernstok.
In 1930, Szenes married Portuguese artist Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, and together they navigated the bohemian art scene in Paris. They were in close circles with renowned artists like Joan Miró and Max Ernst. The outbreak of World War II prompted them to leave Paris, spending time in Lisbon and eventually settling in Brazil, where Szenes founded a painting school. They returned to Paris in 1947, and Szenes embarked on a significant series of geometric and organic works. However, his wife's fame overshadowed his own in later years. In 1979, he donated several works to museums in Hungary, and after his death in 1985, Vieira da Silva established an art foundation in Lisbon to support emerging artists.
Zhao Wou-Ki (Chinese: 赵无极, pinyin: Zhào Wújí) was a Chinese-French painter. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Zao Wou-Ki graduated from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, where he studied under Fang Ganmin and Wu Dayu.