Michel Tapié (full name: Michel Tapié de Céleyran; 26 February 1909 – 30 July 1987) was a French art
critic
A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or govern ...
,
curator
A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...
, and
collector. He was an early and influential
theorist and practitioner of "
tachisme", a French style of abstract painting popular in the 1940s and 1950s which is regarded as a European version of
abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
. Tapié was a founder member of the Compagnie de l'Art Brut with
Dubuffet and
Breton In 1948, as well he managed the Foyer De l'Art Brut at the Galerie René Drouin.Tapié was from an aristocratic French family and was a second cousin once removed of the painter
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the l ...
. The painter's mother Adèle Tapié de Celeyran was Tapié's great-aunt.
Art of Another Kind
Michel Tapié's 1952 book entitled ''Un art autre'' (Art of Another Kind), influenced a distinctly European approach to American
abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
, especially the subgenres of
action painting
Action painting, sometimes called "gestural abstraction", is a style of painting in which paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied. The resulting work often emphasizes the physical a ...
and
lyrical abstraction. Herschel B. Chipp's ''Theories of Modern Art: a Source Book for Artists and Critics'' (1968; see list of references below), includes an English translation of an extensive portion of that work (pp. 603–605). "
L'art Informel" was Tapié's general term for art reflecting the sensibility described in this
manifesto
A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...
.
According to the Guggenheim Collection's art-historical glossary entry on "l'art informel" (see External links), Tapié, in his 1952 book, "was trying to define a tendency in postwar European painting that he saw as a radical break with all traditional notions of order and composition —including those of Modernism.... He used the term Art Informel (from the French ''informe'', meaning unformed or formless) to refer to the antigeometric, antinaturalistic, and nonfigurative formal preoccupations of these artists, stressing their pursuit of spontaneity, looseness of form, and the irrational.... Artists who became associated with Art Informel include
Enrico Donati,
Lucio Fontana,
Agenore Fabbri,
Alberto Burri,
Asger Jorn,
Phillip Martin
Phillip Martin (March 13, 1926 – February 4, 2010) was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American political leader, the democratically elected Tribal Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi Band of Cho ...
,
Emil Schumacher, Kazuo Shiraga,
Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tápies (; 13 December 1923 – 6 February 2012) was a Catalan painter, sculptor and art theorist, who became one of the most famous European artists of his generation.
Life
The son of Josep Tàpies i M ...
, and
Jiro Yoshihara."
Globe-trotting promoter of modern art
Chipp notes that Tapié's importance to
Avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
art, beginning in the mid-1940s, was "not only as an author of books, criticism, and exhibition catalogues, but also as an organizer of exhibitions of contemporary art in Europe, Latin America, and Japan, and as an adviser to galleries throughout the world" (p. 591). In 1952, Tapié wrote the catalogue for, and helped to organize,
Jackson Pollock
Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a ho ...
’s first solo exhibition in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
, which took place at the Studio Paul Facchetti (see Tapié's essay/catalogue listed below). The French lyrical abstractionist (or ''tachiste'')
Georges Mathieu
Georges Mathieu (27 January 1921 – 10 June 2012) was a French abstract painter, art theorist, and member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is considered one of the fathers of European lyrical abstraction, a trend of informalism.
Bi ...
was another artist of whom Tapié was an early champion (see catalogue below).
In 1957, Tapié travelled with
Georges Mathieu
Georges Mathieu (27 January 1921 – 10 June 2012) was a French abstract painter, art theorist, and member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is considered one of the fathers of European lyrical abstraction, a trend of informalism.
Bi ...
to Tokyo, and later to Osaka, to meet the
Gutai Group
The was a Japanese avant-garde artist group founded in the Hanshin region by young artists under the leadership of the painter Jirō Yoshihara in Ashiya, Japan, in 1954.
The group, today one of the most internationally-recognized instances of ...
. This first encounter led to numerous collaborations between the gallerist and Gutai, including a 1958 exhibition of Gutai art at the
Martha Jackson Gallery in New York, the group's first exhibition outside of Japan. Tapié also was present during Gutai's 1960 art event, "The International Sky Festival", held in Osaka. Some art historians have argued that Tapié was a negative influence on the group, encouraging the artists to pursue informel-style painting rather than their more innovative practices, such as performance and installation.
In 1960, with architect
Luigi Moretti
Luigi Walter Moretti (2 January 1907 – 14 July 1973) was an Italian architect. Active especially in Italy since the thirties, he designed buildings such as the Watergate Complex in Washington DC, The Academy of Fencing, and ''Il Girasole'' ( ...
:it:Luigi Moretti (architetto), Tapié co-founded the International Center of Aesthetic Research in
Turin, Italy
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
hipp, p. 591 a facility for the study and exhibition of art, as well as for the publication and dissemination of critical, investigative, or theoretical works on art. The Center, which closed its doors not long after the death of Tapié in 1987, also housed a museum with a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art. Tapié organized and curated scores of exhibitions of new and modern art in major cities all over the world, including not only
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
and
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...
but also
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
,
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
,
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
,
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4  ...
, and
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
.
Quotation
In the words of Saint John of the Cross, 'To reach the unknown, you must pass through the unknown.' Academicism--finished for good, isn't it?["from Michel Tapié's ''Un art autre''", 1952), as quoted (in translation) in ''Art of our century'' (1988), page 495]
See also
*
Elaine Hamilton
Sources
*Chipp, Herschel B.
Theories of modern art; a source book by artists and critics(Berkeley,
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Fran ...
Press, 1968)
*Le Pichon, Yann; and Jean Louis Ferrier
''Art of our century : the chronicle of western art, 1900 to the present''alter D. Glanze, English translation
Alter may refer to:
* Alter (name), people named Alter
* Alter (automobile)
* Alter (crater), a lunar crater
* Alter Channel, a Greek TV channel
* Archbishop Alter High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Kettering, Ohio
* ALTER, a command in ...
(New York : Prentice Hall Editions, 1989) ,
ontains extensive material concerning Tapié's ''Un Art Autre'' (1952)*Moretti, Luigi; Michel Tapié
''Le baroque généralisé : manifeste du baroque ensembliste''(Torino : Edizioni del Dioscuro, 1965)
OCLC
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...
57403312
*Tapié, Michel
Un art autre où il s'agit de nouveaux dévidages du réel(
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
, Gabriel-Giraud et fils, 1952) OCLC 1110556
*
Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tápies (; 13 December 1923 – 6 February 2012) was a Catalan painter, sculptor and art theorist, who became one of the most famous European artists of his generation.
Life
The son of Josep Tàpies i M ...
and Michel Tapié
''Antonio Tapies'' ic New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, G. Wittenborn, 1959.
OCLC
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...
1090149
ote: this Worldcat listing gives the painter's first name as "Antonio" in the title, also omitting the accent mark in the surname. Despite the similar surnames, the two men were unrelated.*Tapié, Michel; Paul Jenkins; Esther Jenkins
''Observations''(
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, G. Wittenborn, 1956) OCLC 1127301
*Tapié, Michel
''Elaine Hamilton: Exhibition of Paintings''(
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
,
Japan: Fujikawa Gallery), April 12–18, 1961.
OCLC
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...
81011323
*Tapié, Michel
''Hans Hofmann : peintures 1962 : 23 avril-18 mai 1963.''(
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
: Galerie Anderson-Mayer, 1963.)
xhibition catalogue and commentary: Tapié was a great admirer of Hans Hofmann">Hans_Hofmann.html" ;"title="xhibition catalogue and commentary: Tapié was a great admirer of Hans Hofmann">xhibition catalogue and commentary: Tapié was a great admirer of Hans HofmannOCLC: 62515192
*Tapié, Michel; Ossorio, Alfonso
''Pollock''(
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
, P. Facchetti, 1952) OCLC: 30601793
*Tapié, Michel; Instituto Torquato de di Tella. Centro de Artes Visuales. ''Intuiciones y realizaciones formales : exposición de obras seleccionadas por Michel Tapié, Centro de Artes Visuales, Instituto Torcuato di Tella ... Buenos Aires ... del 14 de agosto al 4 de setiembre de 1964'' (Worldcat link
(
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...
: El Instituto, 1964)
OCLC
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...
7889303
*
Jirō Yoshihara;
Shōzō Shimamoto; Michel Tapié; Gutai Bijutsu Kyōkai
''Gutai'' 具体(具体美術協会, Nishinomiya-shi : Gutai Bijutsu Kyōkai, 1955–1965)
apanese : Serial Publication : PeriodicalOCLC
OCLC, Inc., doing business as OCLC, See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It wa ...
53194339
orldcat "Other titles" information: Gutai art exhibition, Aventure informelle, International art of a new era, U.S.A., Japan, Europe, International Sky Festival, Osaka, 1960
References
External links
Color image of a Michel Tapié painting(via an auction record at artnet.de)
Information on Michel Tapiéat www.the-artists.org
*
Guggenheim collection art-historical glossary entry elucidating the term "art informel"
*
ttps://archive.today/20010221201747/http://www2.ac-toulouse.fr/lyc-bellevue-toulouse/travelev/tapie.htm L'exposition "Tapié: un art autre" Information on 1997 Tapié exhibition in
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. The city is on t ...
Fluxugenovahistorical essay on
Fluxus
Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product. Fluxus ...
mentioning the formative influence of the
Gutaj group and its connection to Michel Tapié
*Le grand Œil de Michel Tapié, de
Franck Prazan
Franck Prazan (born 1966) is a French art collector and the owner of Applicat-Prazan gallery in Paris. He specialises in School of Paris, a Post-War abstract painting movement, whose main artists include Jean-Michel Atlan, Pierre Soulages, Serge P ...
(Sous la direction de), Baptiste Brun (Avec la contribution de), Juliette Evezard (Avec la contribution de), Edouard Lombard (Avec la contribution de), Paris,
Skira
The festival of the Skira ( grc, Σκίρα) or Skirophoria ( grc, Σκιροφόρια) in the calendar of ancient Athens, closely associated with the Thesmophoria, marked the dissolution of the old year in May/June.
Description
At Athens, ...
,
Applicat-Prazan Applicat-Prazan gallery was established in 1993 on the Left Bank in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris at 16 rue de Seine (75006 Paris, France) under the initiative of Bernard Prazan, a keen art collector.
Franck Prazan, Bernard Prazan's ...
, 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tapie, Michel
Art Informel and Tachisme painters
French art critics
20th-century French painters
20th-century French male artists
French male painters
French curators
French art directors
1909 births
1987 deaths
French contemporary art
French male non-fiction writers
20th-century French male writers