Andre' Masson
dal 17/10/2007 al 17/11/2007
Segnalato da
17/10/2007
Andre' Masson
Trigg Ison Fine Art, West Hollywood
Sur-Reality. A Retrospective exhibition of thirty original paintings and works on paper. The work of Masson evolved from Cubism to Surrealism through his relationships with Surrealist writers, poets and artists. He joined the movement in its quest to unlock the mystery of the human psyche and subconscious mind through art and literature.
Sur-Reality. A Retrospective Exhibition
Trigg Ison Fine Art, in association with Dave DiMartino and Galerie Cazeau Beraudiere, proudly present, “Andre’ Masson: Sur Reality”, a retrospective exhibition of thirty original paintings and works on paper by one of the most significant surrealist artist’s of the twentieth century, Andre’ Masson.
The exhibition commences with a private invitation opening night on Thursday, October 18, 2007, from 6:00 – 9:00pm with a subsequent gallery exhibition from October 19 – November 18, 2007. Please contact the gallery for opening night invitations.
"Andre' Masson: Sur-Reality"
Surrealism was an artistic movement that utilized dreamlike imagery in order to defy reason and subvert reality. Realism by comparison can be identified by its resemblance to what is real, at least to an individual beholder. The common denominator is subjectivity: what is real to one person is in fact real…for that person. In the exhibition ”André Masson: Sur-Reality”, here in its American premiere, we attempt to examine individual reality by exhibiting original paintings and works on paper by one of the leading Surrealist artists of the twentieth century, French painter André Masson.
Cunning, well-informed, and yet intensely passionate, the work of André Masson evolved from Cubism to Surrealism through his relationships with Surrealist writers, poets and artists. He joined the Surrealist movement in its quest to unlock the mystery of the human psyche and subconscious mind through art and literature. Masson was fascinated with the continual process of metamorphosis, a fascination that guided his artistic journey throughout a lifetime of abstract surreal subjects and unique modern techniques by which he continually pushed the boundaries of thought, form and imagination.
Masson served as a soldier in the French army until he was badly wounded in battle. His traumatic experiences in World War I were certainly absorbed into his subconscious. Upon returning to civilian life, Masson befriended some of the most important artists in Paris. Working in a cubist style until the mid 1920’s, he then became fascinated by the visionary, irrational world of the Surrealists. He took a studio across the way from Joan Miró and became friends with Jacques Limbour, Michel Leiris, Antonin Artaud and Max Ernst, as well as the leader of the Surrealist movement, André Breton, who championed Masson’s art. Masson also met Daniel Kahnweiler, a dealer and author who represented Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Juan Gris. Kahnweiler wrote a number of monographs on many of these artists, including Masson, and it was at Kahnweiler’s Galerie Simon that the first one-man exhibition of André Masson was held in 1924.
Escaping the Nazi occupation of France in 1940, Masson and his wife traveled to New York , where he became exposed to the American art community. Masson had already begun to experiment with “automatic painting”, dripping glue onto his canvases, then covering the wet glue with sand. This technique achieved a textural element within his paintings that was unique and adventurous, impelled as it was by the belief that this “automatic” approach could allow the subconscious to become visible in the painting. Masson became an influence on many American artists during this period, Jackson Pollock foremost among them.
Masson exhibited his work at galleries and museums throughout the world until his death in 1987, and recognition of his profoundly influential contribution to modern art has continued to escalate since.
It is the intent of the producers of this exhibition to present a choice group of original works by André Masson, some never before seen. The exhibition has been assembled from a number of collections, including that of the artist’s family as well as those of Galerie Cazeau-Béraudière, Jean François Cazeau, Trigg Ison, and Dave DiMartino.
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 18, 6-9pm
Trigg Ison Fine Art
511 North Robertson Blvd - West Hollywood
Gallery hours, Monday – Saturday, 11am-4pm; Saturdays by appointment
Free admission