NOT A BLOCKBUSTER - A DONATION AND A DISCOVERY

décembre 15, 2013

I have a list of exhibitions to be seen on my Iphone following their closing date. This is not necessarily the order followed. More where I am and what I THINK I feel like. The last episodes have not been depressing as someone asked, but thought provoking. Time moves on and there are subjects which touch me more than others. If I had been 20, would « Masculin/Masculin » have been so boring? « Maryan » is terrifying because it provoked images which have followed me all my adult life? Pinault and that relationship with old age - is it the fear of ending my life like that? I doubt it but it doesn’t matter what we prepare for at a certain time in our life, it doesn’t necessarily turn out to be like that. So these three exhibitions had been thought provoking. It was time for something else…….

The Donation Florence and Daniel Guerlain is open until March 2014 but strolling down following a luncheon close to the Gare du Nord, I decided to « pop in » to the Beaubourg. Not an hour when I usually visit museums as it was after 5pm. There is a blockbuster on and the crowds were still thronging to see « The Surrealism and the Object » - I’ll wait. The exhibition I decided to see was not on the priority list of visitors to the Beaubourg Friday afternoon.

Having read nothing about this donation, I could only be surprised. Would it be a real surprise or ….. ?

You certainly know who the Guerlain family is. I didn’t know that this generation had built up a remarkable collection of contemporary drawings. In February 2010 they made a donation to the Beaubourg of 1,200 works on paper. Over 200 artists coming from 38 different countries. Beaubourg was exhibiting a selection of the works. In 2006, the couple created a drawing prize linked with their foundation for Contemporary art. Obviously this helped to place graphic arts within art as a whole and enabled an artist to continue his or her creative work.

The exhibition features one or several works of nominees and winners. The list is long as is the list of international artists from all over the world. I guess the lion’s share is devoted to French artists but as I only knew five in all, it didn’t matter. These were hours of discoveries. Artists I have never met.   What I liked most of all is that the Guerlain's globe trotting travels are essentially art-oriented. They discover marvels on those trips and lucky enough to be guided by people who live in the country. As they said:

« there is no reason to remain exclusively French, because globalisation means that there are fine arts everywhere. Obviously you need to go out and find them. As our main aim in life is to rub shoulders with art, we feel totally fulfilled. »

How I understand that concept. My travels take me to see an exhibition….an artist….a period…..a concept….but I have never included the medium of drawing into that concept. Here I was thrown into a world of some 200 drawings or paintings or collages or mixed medium….it was important to discover each drawing by itself and see the intricacies, the emerging images, the different colors, fantasy, strange creatures….not too much could be seen from a little way off. I’m sure visitors missed a lot - I don’t think I did.

As I don’t know the artists and they are all with the exception of one or two - alive today, over to you to discover some of what I saw in those hours spent with paper…..

Berlinde Bruyckere - Eén , 2004 - Belgiulm

Catherine Van Eetvelde (Belgium- - Equatation 2001

Guillemo Kuitca (Argentine) The Met 2002

Marcel Dzama (Canadian) What wind blows this Hither

Joyce Pensato - New York Flying home 2010

Joyce Pensato - Duck soup

Gaston Chaissac - La Risée de Sainte FLorence et de l'Oie 1955 - I know

Fabien Mérelle - France - Paul d'Aubervilliers 2010

Mrzyk et Moriceau (Germain and Frecnh) 2006


James Rielly (UK) Looking at a hole	: DId you ever look at something but nothing with a fixed stare and notice that those around tried to work out what you were seeing?