tefaf 2014 - exposition / exhibition henri michaux

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Exposition/ Exhibition Henri MICHAUX

(1899-1984)

Oeuvres sur papier des années 50 aux années 70Works on Paper from 50’ to 70’

14-23 mars 20142014, March 14-23

GalerieANTOINE LAURENTIN

23, quai Voltaire75007 Paris

Tel: 01 42 97 43 42 - www.galerie-laurentin.com


(1899-1984)

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For the next tefaf, Antoine Laurentin is mounting an Henri Michaux exhibition

that will focus on his drawings from 50’ to 70’. He will also publish a significant catalog with

an essay by Mrs Leslie Jones, Curator Prints and Drawings at LACMA .

« Peindre, composer, écrire, me parcourir : là est l’aventure d’être en vie »

GalerieANTOINE LAURENTIN

23, quai Voltaire75007 Paris

Tel: 01 42 97 43 42 - www.galerie-laurentin.com

A l’occasion du prochain salon Tefaf, Antoine Laurentin présenteraune exposition Henri Michaux, avec un ensemble d’oeuvres sur papier

des années 50 aux années 70. Cette exposition sera accompagnée d’un catalogue doté d’un essai de Madame Leslie Jones, conservateur des Estampes et Dessins au LACMA.

Présentation de l’exposition


(1899-1984)

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Sélection d’Oeuvres /

Works on paper selection

de HENRI MICHAUX

Composition / Untitled

circa 1957 Encre sur papier de Chinesignée du monogramme en bas à droiteInk on China papersigned with monogram lower right70 x 33,5 cm


circa 1965 Gouache sur papiersignée du monogramme en bas à droiteGouache on papersigned with monogram lower right37,5 x 52,5 cm


circa 1973 Acrylique noire et rouge

sur papier Arches torchoncachet de l’atelier au dos

Acrylic black and redon Arches paper

studio stamp on reverse56 x 75 cm

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Sélection d’Oeuvres


circa 1967 Encre de Chine sur papiersignée du monogrammeen bas à droiteChina ink on papersigned with monogram lower right74,5 x 107 cm


circa 1979 Encre de Chine sur apprêt blanc sur papiersignée du monogramme en bas à droiteChina ink on white priming on papersigned with monogram lower right50 x 64,5 cm


circa 1978 Acrylique et encre de Chine sur papier Arches torchon

cachet de l’atelier et datée «78-79» au dosAcrylic and China ink on paper Arches torchon

studio stamp and dated «78-79» on reverse56 x 75 cm

Sélection d’Oeuvres /

Works on paper selection

de HENRI MICHAUX

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«... Critics and artists alike have continually likened “Mouvements” to Asian calligraphy. Yet, while a page from Michaux’s series demonstrates a certain affinity with Asian calligraphy—black ink markings laid down in more or less regular rows—their semblance becomes less evident as forms suggesting figures, animals, insects and microorganisms begin to surface and dance and scurry across the page. In his 1954 text “Signes” (“Signs”), Michaux described “Mouvements” as a dance of mutant beings:

Their dance produced the shrimp-man, the demon-man, the spider-man, the overwhelmed man, a hundred hands, a hundred serpents coming out of him from all sides in a rage.

Central to Michaux’s “signs” was “man” to which he added limbs, creating his own personal, quasi-human bestiary that relates to his lifelong interest in the natural sciences. Infinitesimal organisms were of particu-lar interest to Michaux who was known to have carried a magnifying glass or loupe for impromptu scien-tific investigations of insects and plant life. This interest extended to the microscopic level as well where Michaux made a connection between the embryonic state of living beings and the origins of language. In his words:

Everything, really everything, is to be started over with the basic elements: from cells, of plants…of proto-animals: the alphabet of life. Only thus will we escape. Otherwise I stand for nothing.

Michaux’s “alphabet of life” is characterized as unidentifiable forms that seem to wriggle with potential meaning. In language, as in life forms—in culture, as in nature—Michaux was intrigued by “origins.” His procla-mation of starting over “with the basic elements” also relates to his interest in ancient languages. Many of Michaux’s “signs” also suggest ancient scripts, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs, Arabic or Sanskrit, without imitating them directly. Bernard Gheerbrant recalls a notebook filled with “alphabets carefully drawn and described” that included hieroglyphs, Coptic, Demiotic as well as Cretan linear B and some non-iden-tified signs that he collected on his travels. In such works, the “signs” are organized in rows enhancing the linguistic allusion yet, as with embryonic forms, resist identification or translation. Michaux’s “signs” continually vacillate between organic and linguistic/cultural references, that together suggest quasi-scienti-fic charts of “signs” in individuated sections that resemble ancient markings in blocks of stone, or cellular organisms under magnification, or both. ...»

Essai / Essay

de / by Leslie JonesCurator Prints &Drawings at LACMA

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Né à Namur, en Belgique le 24 mai 1899, dans une famille bourgeoise, Henri Michaux est très tôt un enfant à l’esprit torturé. En 1906, il est envoyé au pensionnat de Putte-Grasheide, où il y passera cinq années à étudier en flamand. Il reviendra ensuite à Bruxelles pour continuer ses études. C’est sous l’occupation allemande qu’Henri Michaux écrit son premier texte. Il est alors poussé par l’un de ses professeurs vers la lit-térature, qu’il rejette. Il se tourne vers la médecine qu’il abandonnera rapidement, pour en 1920 s’engager comme matelot. Cependant, il est contraint l’année suivante de retrouver la terre ferme, suite au désarmement mondial des bateaux. En 1922, à Bruxelles, la lecture de «Maldoror» est pour Michaux une révélation qui le ramène à l’écriture. C’est après son installation à Paris, en 1925, que lui viendra le goût de la peinture, notamment grâce aux œuvres de Paul Klee, Max Ernst puis Giorgio di Chirico. Commence alors un travail complexe entre ébauches anthropomorphes et figures fantomatiques. Malgré un rapprochement souvent fait avec le surréalisme ou le tachisme, Michaux ne se rattache pas à un mouvement. C’est cette indépen-dance qui donne une grande force à ses œuvres. Â partir de 1929, après la mort de son père puis de sa mère, Henri Michaux voyage à travers les nombreux pays d’Afrique du Nord, d’Asie, d’Amérique du Sud…Quelques années plus tard, c’est son frère puis sa femme que la mort emporte, ravageant l’homme qui privilégie davantage la peinture à l’écriture. Ces douloureuses périodes l’amènent à sa première expérience de mescaline en 1956. À cette période, il porte plus d’atten-tion à la médecine et particulièrement à la psychiatrie. S’ensuit alors un long travail sur les effets de la drogue. Par ailleurs, c’est dans ces années là que l’œuvre du peintre va se faire connaître, évoquant surprise et malaise chez le public. Au fil des années, les œuvres de Michaux sont exposées partout dans le monde. Le peintre consacrera cependant beaucoup de temps à son travail d’écriture. Il décède le 9 octobre 1984.

The French writer, painter and graphic artist Henri Michaux was born in the Belgian town of Namur in 1899 and spent his childhood in Brussels. He wanted to become a priest, but followed his father’s wish and began to study medicine in 1919, but soon abandoned this plan and signed on as a seaman.After reading works by Lautréamont he began writing in 1922. His acquaintance with Paul Klee, Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico, whom he met in Paris in 1925, inspired him to first painting and drawing attempts. Between 1927 and 1937 he travelled through South America and Asia. Afterwards Michaux sketched and painted his Phantomisms. He had his first exhibitions in Parisian galleries, followed by important shows abroad. In the mid 1950s Michaux began experimenting with hallucinatory drugs, particularly with mescaline, letting his experiences inspire his writing, painting and drawing. These works were first exhibited in 1956 at the Galerie La Hune in Paris. Then there was a large exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in December 1957 and a retrospective exhibition organised by Daniel Cordier in Frankfurt/Main in March 1959.His ink drawings evoke scriptural elements and calligraphic symbols which are a seismographic reflection of the artist’s inner emo-tions. The two systems of word-language and sign-language pervade each other. Henri Michaux’s impressive oeuvre attracted much international recognition. He exhibited works at the «documenta» in Kassel in 1959 and 1964; he was awarded the Einaudi-Prize at the Biennale in Venice in 1960.Henri Michaux’s paintings always remained figurative, in-spite of all tendency towards abstraction. The artist’s intention was not to flee from the world, but to expand the world by changing the awareness. The real world was to be enhanced by additional levels of perception.Henri Michaux died in Paris in 1984 at the age of 85.

Biographie / Biography

de HENRI MICHAUX

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Titre de l’exposition Henri Michaux oeuvres sur papier des années 50 aux années 70 works on paper from 50’ to 70’

Dates de l’exposition/ Exhibition dates 14-23 mars 2014 2014, 14-23 March Lieu / Place Tefaf , Mecc, Maastricht, Pays-Bas

Nombre d’oeuvres / Works number 40 oeuvres environ

Photos sur demande/ on request

Catalogue avec un essai de Madame Leslie Jones, conservateur des Estampes et Dessins du LACMA with an essay by Mrs Leslie Jones, curator Prints & Drawings at LACMA disponible en février available in February Contact Presse : Caroline Jouquey Graziani Galerie Antoine Laurentin 23 quai Voltaire 75 007 Paris Tel: +33 (0)1 42.97.43.42 E-mail: [email protected]

tefaf 2014 - exposition / exhibition henri michaux

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