Figuration Libre
Encyclopedia
Figuration Libre is a French art movement of the 1980s. It is the French equivalent of Bad Painting
and Neo-expressionism
in America and Europe, Junge Wilde
in Germany and Transvanguardia in Italy. The term was coined by Fluxus
artist Ben Vautier
.
The group was formed in 1981 by Robert Combas
, Remi Blanchard, François Boisrond and Hervé Di Rosa
. Other figures include Richard Di Rosa and Louis Jammes. Between 1982 and 1985, these artists exhibited alongside their American counterparts Keith Haring
, Jean-Michel Basquiat
, and Kenny Scharf
in New York City
, London
, Pittsburgh and Paris
.
Figuration Libre (Free Figuration) can be translated as “Free Style”.
The group Bazooka, The Brothers Ripoulin, Muslims smoking and Francky Boy Speedy Graphito, Rafael Gray, VLP (Vive La Peinture), group Nuklé-Art, Kriki, Kim Prisu, Etherno, Captain Cavern, Dix10 Group, established in 1982 (Roma Napoli and JJ Dow Jones), Didier Chamizo, Placid
and Muzo
, Juhel
, Lhopital Sebastian (Sebastian said), Nina Childress, Frédéric Voisin, Paella Chimicos, Suburb Suburb, Daniel Baugeste, Jerome Mesnager Blek le Rat
, Mary Rouffet Miss.Tic Gerard Zlotykamien and Frédéric Iriarte
.
Bad Painting
"Bad" Painting is the name given to a trend in American figurative painting in the 1970s by critic and curator, Marcia Tucker . She curated an exhibition of the same name, featuring the work of fourteen artists, most unknown in New York at the time, at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York....
and Neo-expressionism
Neo-expressionism
Neo-expressionism is a style of modern painting and sculpture that emerged in the late 1970s and dominated the art market until the mid-1980s...
in America and Europe, Junge Wilde
Junge Wilde
The term Junge Wilde was originally applied to trends within the art world, and was only later used with reference to politics...
in Germany and Transvanguardia in Italy. The term was coined by Fluxus
Fluxus
Fluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
artist Ben Vautier
Ben Vautier
Ben Vautier , also known simply as Ben, is a French artist.Vautier lives and works in Nice, where he ran a record shop called Magazin between 1958 and 1973...
.
The group was formed in 1981 by Robert Combas
Robert Combas
Robert Combas is a French painter and sculptor, born May 25, 1957 in Lyon, France and now living and working in Paris.He is widely recognized as a progenitor of the figuration libre movement that began in Paris around 1980 as a reaction to the art establishment in general and minimalism and...
, Remi Blanchard, François Boisrond and Hervé Di Rosa
Hervé Di Rosa
Hervé Di Rosa is a French painter.Born in Sète, France, Hervé Di Rosa is a French painter who brings to life the unique characters who populate his work through the making of paintings, sculptures, installations, animation movies, editions, portraying these unique individuals. In America we had...
. Other figures include Richard Di Rosa and Louis Jammes. Between 1982 and 1985, these artists exhibited alongside their American counterparts Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
, and Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf is an American painter who lives in Brooklyn, New York. The artist received his B.F.A in 1980 at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. Scharf's works consist of popular culture based shows with made up science-related backgrounds...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Pittsburgh and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Figuration Libre (Free Figuration) can be translated as “Free Style”.
See also
Were sometimes associated with the term Free Figuration even though they were not present in historical exhibitions.The group Bazooka, The Brothers Ripoulin, Muslims smoking and Francky Boy Speedy Graphito, Rafael Gray, VLP (Vive La Peinture), group Nuklé-Art, Kriki, Kim Prisu, Etherno, Captain Cavern, Dix10 Group, established in 1982 (Roma Napoli and JJ Dow Jones), Didier Chamizo, Placid
Placid
Placid is a masculine given name, and may refer to:* John Placid Adelham , English Protestant minister* Saint Placid , Italian Christian monk* Father Placid J Podipara , Indian Catholic priest...
and Muzo
Muzo
Muzo is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia, part of the subregion of the Western Boyacá Province. It is widely known for the nearby emerald mines containing arguably the world's highest quality gems of this type. The Muzo mines are situated in the western foothills of the...
, Juhel
Juhel
Juhel may refer to:* Juhel Berengar* Juhel of Totnes* Juhel de Mayenne**Juhel I de Mayenne**Juhel II de Mayenne**Juhel III de Mayenne* Saint Judicael , a king of Domnonia...
, Lhopital Sebastian (Sebastian said), Nina Childress, Frédéric Voisin, Paella Chimicos, Suburb Suburb, Daniel Baugeste, Jerome Mesnager Blek le Rat
Blek le Rat
Blek le Rat, born Xavier Prou in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris in 1952, was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the “Father of Stencil Graffiti” .-Early career and Influence:...
, Mary Rouffet Miss.Tic Gerard Zlotykamien and Frédéric Iriarte
Frédéric Iriarte
Frédéric Iriarte, born in 1963 in Paris, is a contemporary plastic artist. He lives and works in Sweden since 1986.In the 1980s he belonged to the avant-garde movement Figuration Libre :fr:Figuration libre and presented his works, among others, Galerie Beaubourg, the Marianne and Pierre Nahon...
.