Marcel Michaud

Marcel Michaud (1898 - 1958), writer and director of gallery of avant-garde to Lyon, was of 1936 to 1939 the organizer of the group " Témoignage" which brings together writers, musicians, painters (in particular Jean Bertholle and Jean Moal) and sculptors (Etienne Martin and François Stahly).

Biography

Marcel Michaud is born the January 24th 1898 with Villefranche-sur-Saône. With died of his father in 1908, it leaves the school and becomes workman toolmaker. Installed in Lyon, it only continues in the evening secondary studies. Engaged in the medium of extreme left and the trade-union activities, he collaborates in several libertarian newspapers . Working then with the Robin establishments, with the classification then with the operations of customs, it is quickly named director of sector.

With the writer Georges Navel Marcel Michaud in 1919 the movement " founds; Youth ouvrière" and in 1921 a popular University. It meets in 1924 the painter Louis Thomas and Doctor Emile Malespine, with whom it creates in 1926 the " Théâtre" keep;. In 1928 it leaves to Paris where it works in automobile industry but does not manage to install its family there and returns to Lyon, publishing in the working weekly magazine " Effort" , between 1929 and 1934, of criticisms of literature, cinema and arts pastic, as well as extracts of texts of André Breton, Éluard and Le Corbusier. At this point in time it maintains the epistolary relationship with Germaine Dulac, Marianne Oswald, Blaise Cendrars, meets Tony Garnier, binds with Albert Gleizes and Etienne Martin, pronounces conferences with the radio. In 1931 it accomplishes several voyages in Suisse, meets Moholy-Nagy and Le Corbusier then valley into 1933 of the contacts with the mediums of esoteric research (Rene Guénon, Rene Daumal, the Big game). Having negotiated as from 1933 a contract of importation of creations of Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto, it opens in March 1934 in Lyon, with 43 rue de la Bourse, the store of modern pieces of furniture " Stylclair" who presents achievements, in particular, of Gropius, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, but also of the objects of craft industry (fabrics, potteries, carpet, glassmaking).

In 1936 Marcel Michaud takes part in the creation of the group Témoignage and in the drafting of the review " The Weight of Monde". Carrying out many displacements in Paris, it binds with the directors of gallery Pierre and Edouard Loeb, Yvonne and Christian Zervos, Kaganovitch, Kahnweiler, the painters Picasso and max Ernst, the poets Rene Char and Francis Ponge. In 1938 Michaud opens with 23 rue Thomassin la gallery " Folklore" and exposes the artists of Témoignage , that Rene Breteau presents, in 1938 and 1939, in Paris. While the group is dispersed during the war, Michaud installs in 1941 its gallery with 2 rue de Jussieu. During the Occupation, it shelters works of several merchants Jews. The general headquarter of the German troops installed to the " Carlton" , beside its gallery, this one is expelled in 1944 and moves street Terme.

The gallery " Folklore" find its buildings in 1945, with the Claudius-Small assistance in particular of and Marcel Michaud present until 1947 of the exposures under the sign of " Témoignage" , substituent of new artists to the founder group, but also, in personal or collective exposures, Gischia, Fougeron, Pinion, Singier, Tal Coat (1945), Bram van Velde (1946, 1949), Francoise Gilot (1953), and regularly Jean Couty. It opens in 1946 in Paris the gallery MAY, which it directs in collaboration until 1951 then takes part in the organization of several exposures to Lyon and in many literary emissions to Radio Lyon. After the death of Marcel Michaud in 1958, his wife Jeanne Michaud will manage the gallery " Folklore" until 1968.

The museums of Lyon and Saint-Etienne preserve several works acquired at Michaud (Directs, Picasso). Works of several painters having belonged to the group Témoignage are more particularly preserved at the Musée of the Art schools of Lyon, in particular of Bertholle (" Spirale" , 1939; " Corsaire" , 1952; " Composition" , 1953), Moal (" Character assis" 1936; " Composition with the ace of cœur" , 1938; " Objets" , 1950; " Picassique" composition; , 1955), Manessier (" The Young person musicienne" , 1943; " Angelus domini" , 1947) and Etienne Martin (" Sauterelle" , 1933).

Quotation

" Lyon, city-capital is striped road of the impassioned pilgrims of the world. Why? - because from the point of view intellectual and political, since a quarter century reigns in this city an omnipotent mediocrity. In Lyon quality = loneliness. quality = loneliness, do you know what that wants to say? but WE WILL NOT KEEP SILENT OURSELVES PAS."

Marcel Michaud, in " The Weight of Monde" , n° 1,1937, p. 4 (handwritten text)

Selective bibliography

Testimony Group, 1936-1943 , Museum of the Art schools, Lyon, 1976.
Jean-Jacques Lévêque, Triumph of the modern art, III, the mad years , Editions ACR.
Marcel Michaud, Lyon, 1933-1958, Stylclair, Testimony Group, Gallery Folklore , texts of Bernard Gavoty, Lyons Space of Contemporary art, Lyon, 1989 (76 p.).
Jean-Jacques Lerrant, Marcel Michaud, discoverer of talents , in " Le Monde " , 14 May 15th, 1989.
Alain Vollerin, the Testimony group of Lyon , Memory of Arts, Lyon, 2001 (120 p.).

See too

"Témoignage"

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