Gaston Chaissac (French, 1910-1964) Abstract Figures

Description:

Gaston Chaissac (French, 1910-1964)

Abstract Figures
Signed and dated "Chaissac 1960" l.r.
Mixed media collage on canvas, 19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (50.2 x 64.8 cm),framed (under glass).
Condition: Not examined out of frame.
Provenance: A private Southwestern collection, acquired circa 1960 at the Galerie Iris Clert, Paris.
N.B. Chaissac's brightly-colored primitive compositions run the line between the French academic painting tradition and what is termed 'Outsider' art. His paintings are closely related to the work Jean Dubuffet and are often categorized as part of Dubuffet's 'Art Brut.' Chaissac, however, came to reject this categorization and the theoretical implications of the Art Brut movement; while Dubuffet strove to create 'raw' art, Chaissac's eloquent figural images conveyed a wide array of pure human emotion. Born in Burgundy in 1910, Chaissac retained a peasant identity throughout his life. His first mentor was German painter Otto Freundlich, whose primitive style and exploration of spatial sequences can be seen in Chaissac's work. After his first show at the Galerie Gerbo in 1938, he began to work with Robert Delaunay and Albert Gleizes. Both amusing and elegiac, Chaissac's figural compositions are ironic and uniquely provocative. His tight compositions are filled with puzzle-like spaces, freeform shapes, bold outlines, and bright colors. Known for his collages, Chaissac used a variety of media and techniques including metallic and wooden debris and wallpaper scraps.
Estimate $20,000-30,000

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