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 criticism, art, Literary criticism, literature, Music journalism, music, Film criticism, cinema, Theater criticism, theater, Fas ...

curator A curator (from , 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 particular ins ...

, and collector. He was an early and influential

theorist A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

and practitioner of "

tachisme __NOTOC__ Tachisme (alternative spelling: Tachism, derived from the French word ''tache'', stain; ) is a French style of Abstract art, abstract painting popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The term is said to have been first used with regards to the ...

", a French style of abstract painting popular in the 1940s and 1950s which is regarded as a European version of

abstract expressionism Abstract expressionism in the United States emerged as a distinct art movement in the aftermath of World War II and gained mainstream acceptance in the 1950s, a shift from the American social realism of the 1930s influenced by the Great Depressi ...

. 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 Count, ''Comte'' Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose immersion in the colour ...

. 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

, 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 ...

and

lyrical abstraction Lyrical abstraction arose from either of two related but distinct art movement, trends in Post-war Modernist painting: * European ''Abstraction Lyrique'': a movement that emerged in Paris, with the French art critic Jean José Marchand being cr ...

. 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 written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...

. 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 Lucio Fontana (; 19 February 1899 – 7 September 1968) was an Italian Argentines, Argentine-Italian painter, sculptor, and theorist. He is known as the founder of Spatialism and exponent of Abstract art, abstract painting as the f ...

, Agenore Fabbri, Alberto Burri,

Asger Jorn Asger Oluf Jorn (3 March 1914 – 1 May 1973) was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International. The largest collection of Jorn's works� ...

, Phillip Martin, Emil Schumacher, Kazuo Shiraga, Antoni Tàpies, and Jiro Yoshihara."

Globe-trotting promoter of modern art

Chipp notes that Tapié's importance to

Avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

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. A major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, Pollock was widely noticed for his "Drip painting, drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household ...

’s first solo exhibition in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 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. B ...

was another artist of whom Tapié was an early champion (see catalogue below). In 1957, Tapié travelled with

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. It operated until shortly after Yoshihara's death in 1972. The group, tod ...

. This first encounter led to numerous collaborations between the gallerist and Gutai, including a 1958 exhibition of Gutai art at the

Martha Jackson Gallery Martha Jackson (; January 17, 1907 – July 4, 1969) was an American art dealer, gallery owner, and collector. Her New York City based Martha Jackson Gallery, founded in 1953, was groundbreaking in its representation of women and internatio ...

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 :it:Luigi Moretti (architetto), Tapié co-founded the International Center of Aesthetic Research in

Turin, Italy Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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. The city is main ...

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

and

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) 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. The city is main ...

but also

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, and

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

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

Sources

*Evezard, Juliette. ''"Un Art Autre". Le rêve de Michel Tapié'', Fabrice Flahutez, Fr. preface] (Dijon: Les presses du réel, 2023), 360 p. *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 university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

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(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. 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 was founded in 1967 as the ...

57403312 *Tapié, Michel
Un art autre où il s'agit de nouveaux dévidages du réel
(

, Gabriel-Giraud et fils, 1952) OCLC 1110556 * Antoni Tàpies and Michel Tapié
''Antonio Tapies''
ic

, G. Wittenborn, 1959.

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''
(

, G. Wittenborn, 1956) OCLC 1127301 *Tapié, Michel
''Elaine Hamilton: Exhibition of Paintings''
(

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

: Fujikawa Gallery), April 12–18, 1961.

81011323 *Tapié, Michel
''Hans Hofmann : peintures 1962 : 23 avril-18 mai 1963.''
(

: Galerie Anderson-Mayer, 1963.) xhibition catalogue and commentary: Tapié was a great admirer of Hans Hofmann">Hans Hofmann">xhibition catalogue and commentary: Tapié was a great admirer of Hans HofmannOCLC: 62515192 *Tapié, Michel; Ossorio, Alfonso
''Pollock''
(

, 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

(

: El Instituto, 1964)

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 : Periodical

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 Tapié
at 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 (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

Fluxugenova
historical essay on

Fluxus Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers, and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental performance art, art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finishe ...

mentioning the formative influence of the Gutaj group and its connection to Michel Tapié *Le grand Œil de Michel Tapié, de Franck Prazan (Sous la direction de), Baptiste Brun (Avec la contribution de), Juliette Evezard (Avec la contribution de), Edouard Lombard (Avec la contribution de), Paris, Skira, Applicat-Prazan, 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