Sabah

Biography

His/her father held a bar with Marseilles, where César Baldaccini was born in 1921 in the popular quarters from Beautiful-of-May. “I am basically an absolute autodidact”, will say he. He works initially in his father, before following the courses of the school of the fine arts of his birthplace in 1935 then, 1943, of the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the fine arts of Paris and occupies a workshop in old a Bordel of the “street of Échaudé”, whose rooms, following the law Marthe Richard, had been allotted to students.

As of 1947, it works the plaster and iron, In 1952, Provence, it carries out its first tests of weldings and its first sculptures in scrap, by using materials of inexpensive recovery, because its means is then always modest, thus it is because it does not have money to offer Marbre that César will recover in the discharges of scrap materials of its first sculptures: tubes, bolts, screws. who will become sometimes insects where find themselves in the powerful curves of the “ Venus de Villateneuse ”.

In 1954, it exposes to the gallery Lucien Durand, obtains to the price “collaborationist” for a sculpture entitled “ the fish ” realized with Villetaneuse, where it will work a dozen years, thanks to the assistance of a local industrialist, Leon Jacques and, in 1956, it takes part in the Biennale de Venise. It takes part then in the Biennale of Sao Paulo and with the Documenta II in 1959. In 1960, it takes part in the foundation of the group of the Realistic Nouveaux with Yves Klein, Arman, Jacques Villeglé, Raymond Hains. It carries out its first plates then and, starting from 1961, takes part in several exposures to New York.

Compressions

Starting from 1960, César centers then its work on the technique of the “directed compression”, which becomes its trademark: using a hydraulic press, it compresses various objects. The vicontess of Noailles offers its first car to him, Soviet Zil very new, the only one in Paris. César the compressed renvoit and punt like an omelet and having lost 90% of its volume, other cars also will undergo the same fate. This act of appropriation wants to be a challenge at the consumer society and closer to the realistic Nouveaux brings it, of which it forms part at the sides of his friend Arman, to which its name is often associated.

To the Fondation Cartier in 1986 it thus presents a monumental compression of Turbo Peugeot 205 16 broken in car rallies ( the Champions ). They are the cars of Jean Todt compressed like corn wafers. To the Biennale de Venise, it presents a mountain of compressions, works monumental of 520 tons. In 1998, its Milanese Suite is a series carried out with new cars FIAT which, once compressed, passed in the rooms to painting of factory FIAT of Turin, with the colors of the range of the year. It compresses all kinds of materials: fabrics, papers, and even gold jewels which the society women bring to him and which it returns compressed in cube to carry around the neck.

By reversing the spirit of compressions, César presents to the Salon May in 1967 the great orange expansion , made out of polyurethane. Its expansions exploits the possibilities of this materials in cast smooth and hard. It starts to work the crystal in fusion. In the Years 1970, it reaches an international recognition. From now on, universalement known he saw a life of extravagance and becomes one of the French artists of very first plan and profits from very many exposures. In 1971 at the time of a first in the Lido, it finds more media than him, Salvador Dali, itself, the Master of extravagance.

In 1965, it presents its famous Pouce increased (1,85 meters in height). It is the print of its own inch. At the time of the Olympic Games of Seoul (1988), it creates a Pouce out of 6 height meters bronze. This work was médiatisée and repeated.
It creates the Fist , sculpture monumental of 7 tons out of stainless steel cast iron polished, installed on the place of weapons to the military Lycée of Saint-Cyr military school at the summer 1970
In 1983, it undertakes the realization of sound Centaure in homage to Picasso , sculpture 4,70 height meters, completed in 1985. The sculpture is installed with the crossroads of the Red Cross in Paris.
Always in 1983, César carries out its Hommage to Eiffel for the Fondation Cartier with Jouy-in-Josas. The flying French man, for the Town of HongKong.
He is also the creator of the trophy César of the cinema , reward allotted by the professionals of the French cinema which bears its name, for which he carries out bronze compressions.

At the same time simple and complex man, with southernmost outspokenness, it cultivates his image of eternal craftsman, welder, and especially of great creator. The last years of its life were very happy, César multiplies the exposures, great retrospective in Jeu de Paume with bets in 1997, restrospective in Malmö, Milan, San Paolo, in Mexico City City. César finishes its career by two series of parts, " the continuation milanaise" compressions of compressed new cars and for the first time repainted like new cars with the color of the range of the manufacturer, FIAT. And a series of portraits and self-portraits face face marking with death.

He shared the ten last years of his life with Stéphanie Busuttil, which manages its work today and is holder of its moral right.

Works of César are collected by the museums (Center Pompidou, Tate Gallery, MOMA etc… and the private individuals of the whole world.

Quotations and judgments

“I do not have imagination. It comes me only with the touch and the eyes. Without these two elements, the brain does not function. ” (César)

Places of exposure

The public can admire its works at many places, such as the National center of art and culture Georges-Pompidou (Low relief, Tortue, Devil), with the Musée of modern art of the Town of Paris (Facel Véga), with the Cimetière of Montparnasse, with its burial, on the esplanade of Defense (the Inch) without forgetting with Marseilles on a round not which occurred of Hamburg close to MAC and the center Bonneveine (the Giant Inch), like front the Town hall of Villetaneuse (Venus de Villetaneuse), street of Tiny with Épinal (Freedom)…

References

Sources

Chronology of César

External bonds

César in Artcyclopedia
Radioscopy César Ina Files Tele
Works on paper of César
Works in the photographic base insecula
File on the Centaur
'' Vidéo: '' César Baldaccini in 1965, discusses on its work, a file of the French-speaking Switzerland Télévision.
Exposure Head to César-Clavé head Be 2007, Montélimar

Random links: