REASSURING AND OTHERWISE

 I am very flattered.  Quite a few friends have asked why I have been away from the Blog. It was a week of films and several exhibitions which I simply had nothing to say about. Back in the swing of things today with more coming up this week.

Today we went to see «L’Animal dans Tous Ses Etats» in the «1930 Museum» in Boulogne. It’s not  difficult place to get to but anything on the border of Paris is a hassle for me. Taking a train outside of Paris is no problem but on the outskirts, I feel as if I need a passport. Some years ago, Laurent, Jerome and I went to see a really good exhibition at the same museum, but finding somewhere to eat afterwards was a real trial. As I was going today with a friend who didn’t know the centre, I was a little nervous about what we would find. 

It looked very closed when we arrived. As it was a public holiday, despite my enquiries as to opening hours on such a day, were they closed after all ? No, but for nearly two hours we had the exhibition virtually to ourselves.

This is being shown in parallel with «Beauté Animale» at the Grand Palais. I commented on this in my blog «Large Animals» on the 27th April. I had intended taking my granddaughter. We shall see about that later.

I don’t imagine that animals are only a French passion. Other artists must have used them for models as well and still do. But between 1910 and the 50’s all the top sculptors were very enthusiastic about animals of all kinds. Bourdelle, Bugatti, Giacometti, Calder, Lipchitz and even Picasso just to name a few.
There were over 100 sculptures which showed an extraordinary diversity in the work and materials used. Bronze, plaster, wood, granite, marble and even ceramic. Realistic, abstract, cubic and some very contemporary creatures which for once did not really appeal to me.Many artists went to the Jardin Des Plantes, just down the road from where I live to study animals and animal behaviour. However, I don't remember seeing anything like the three animals below in the Zoo there !


Cobra's head
Bugatti
Feline


Jean Arp
Picasso 

Bugatti
Probably for most the earlier years are comfortable to live with. Big Cats, birds, A Kangaroo, a beautiful flying wild pig or a very human fish  and animals which make us smile. 


M.De  Bayser-Gatry - Fish 1930
Georges Guyot 1925 - Baby bear
François Pompon - Wild Pig 1926


J.L. Animal Form 1921










Moving into the contemporary art though, the question becomes «why» ? Although Jacques Liptchitz "Animal Form" 1921 - I really appreciate. 



Why do Julien Salaud  or Christian Gozenbach enjoy working in taxidermy ? 

Christian Gozenbach "La Nature Humaine" 2007


Julian Salaud - Constellation du Sanglier 2008
Why does Jean Fabre have a fascination for beetles ? 










Why does Michael Blazy want to work with dog biscuits and creature a sculpture of a human skeleton ? 

Michael Blazy 2006-  The Man With Pig Ears




Wim 006



Why does William Delvoye want to decorate a pig and call it Wim ?







Alain Séchas - Le Petit Baldaquin 2007


 Alain Séchas and his cats are not unknown but are they cats for us all ?









Miquel  Barcelo - Tete de Gorille 2000


 And Miquel Barcelo whose art work I love has a fascination for a gorilla’s skull 








.... This contemporary work does not leave one indifferent to an animal world. In fact there are many more questions asked - especially why ? 




The Reassuring View

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