Jean Bazaine

Jean Bazaine (born the December 21st 1904 with Paris - died the March 4th 2001 with Clamart) was a French artist, appears major of the news École of Paris, and of the painting of French avant-garde of the 20th century.

The painting of Bazaine - nonfigurative - is a Humanisme, an abstraction which tends towards the color, the atemporel and purifies it. Its lines and its flat tints testify (like its speech) to a certain spirituality and one attaching poetry.

Biography

After a short passage to the École of the Art schools, Jean Bazaine frequent in 1922 the Académie Julian then works the Sculpture at Paul Landowski. To the Sorbonne, it follows the courses of the historian of art Henri Focillon. It is in 1924 that it starts to paint, drawing with the Louvre or according to nature and being interested in addition in the theater. During its first exposure in 1932, Bonnard entrusts to him: “I am glad to see somebody who works in my way, I am so alone”. Bazaine also meets Emmanuel Mounier and collaborates thereafter in the review “ Esprit ” of 1934 with 1938. In 1937, it carries out with Jean Moal a mural within the framework of the International exhibition of Paris, creates a first Vitrail for a private vault and becomes acquainted with Jacques Villon with which it will bind. Of 1936 with 1938, it creates the decorations and the costumes of several spectacles assembled by Maurice Jacquemont. In 1939, Bazaine is mobilized in Lorraine.

Charged in 1941 with the section “Visual arts” to the organization “ Young France ” (infiltrated by the adversaries of the mode of Pétain and dissolved as of 1942), Bazaine works in particular with Jean Vilar and Maurice Blanchot. With André Lejard it organizes thus in 1941, in spite of the official judgments of the “degenerated Art”, the exposure " Twenty young painters of French tradition " ” (in which take part in particular Bertholle, Gischia, Lapicque, Moal, Manessier, Pignon, Singier), first demonstration in Paris of the painting of avant-garde under the Occupation. With Estève it enters in 1942 to the Gallery Louis-Square which will expose also Lapicque and Villon. During these Bazaine years binds with the poets Guillevic, Seghers, Follain, particularly with André Frénaud and Jean Tardieu. In 1943 it becomes acquainted with Braque that it will often meet after the Release.

Bazaine works in 1941 and 1942 with the construction of three stained glasses for the church of ESA (Haute-Savoie), built by Maurice Novarina. The fire of its workshop destroyed in 1945 it quasi totality of its works former to 1942. Important exposures of its paintings are organized in 1946 and 1947 to Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm, revealing it like one of the most important painters of nonthe figuration. In 1948 are published its Notes on the painting of today , essential reflections on the step of the new painting, which will be often republished thereafter. Bazaine carries out in 1951 a mosaic monumental for the frontage of the church of the Sacred Heart of Audincourt (Doubs), in 1954 of the stained glasses for its baptistry. The stays which it makes in 1953 and 1954 in Spain, in 1955 with Rochetaillée (close to Saint-Etienne), starting from 1956 in “Zeeland” have each time of the repercussions on its painting where the forms, initially vigorously structured, are softened. Starting from 1958 of the retrospective exposures of paintings of Bazaine are presented, in Suisse and with the Netherlands, in Germany and Norway, then in 1965 in Paris with the National museum of modern art. It creates mosaics, in 1960 for the building of UNESCO in Paris, in 1961 for the steamer France, in 1963 for the House of the Radio. In 1964 Bazaine receives the National Grand Prix of Arts and starts to work with the realization, completed in 1969, of the stained glasses of the Église Saint-Severin with Paris. In 1967 it organizes with Calder a exposure-sale with the profit of the Croix-Rouge Vietnam ienne, another in 1968, in which in particular Pignon takes part, in favor of the students.

Bazaine publishes in 1973 a second book, Exercice of painting and carries out the following year a series of Tapisserie S, Blasons the twelve month old . After the debatable operation of the restoration of the stained glasses of the cathedral of Chartres, it founds in 1976 with Manessier the “ Association for the defense of the stained glasses of France ”. For the creation of the stained glasses of the cathedral of Saint-Dié (the Vosges) which is proposed to him, it gathers in 1984 a team in which take part Elvire Jan, Moal and Manessier. During the same years it carries out a mosaic for the Senate (palate of Luxembourg), and at the request of Jack Lang decoration in lava enamelled of the walls and the vault of the subway station " Cluny it Sorbonne". In 1990 a retrospective of its work is presented in the national Galleries of the Large palace. As from 1946 and particularly in the years 1970 and 1980 Bazaine illustrated drawings or Lithographie S of many books, in particular of André Frénaud, Raymond Queneau, Jean Tardieu, Marcel Arland, Jean-Claude Schneider, Claude Esteban, Pierre Oster Soussouev, Eugene Guillevic.

Jean Bazaine is deceased the March 4th 2001 with Clamart. He belongs to the painters brought together for the exposure “the lyrical flight, Paris 1945-1956” presented to the Museum of Luxembourg (Sénat), April-August 2006 ( the Moon and night-bird , 1947, of the museum of Düsseldorf; Landscape , 1950 of the Center of art Neighed Onstad of Oslo; the Morning in wood , 1954): {{ISBN|8876246797}}. An exposure in homage to Jean Bazaine was presented to the Museum of the Holy-Cross Abbey Sand-in Olonne in 2006.

Work

After died natures, the human figure, the landscapes, the trees, Bazaine directs its research towards the elements, water, ground, fire and air. After 1968, its work sticks to the light.

For Bazaine, one does not make painting that one wants, but it is a question of wanting until the end the painting which one can, that wants the time (1948).

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