Book and exhibition: Frédéric Pajak signs his eleventh “Uncertain Manifesto”

And ten! Initially, there were only nine “Uncertain Manifestos” planned by Frédéric Pajak. But why stop there? A large audience devours the author’s cartoon books, who has published them at a rate of a little less than one per year since 2012. Titillated by the Noir sur blanc editions, the press follows as one man (1). The author’s drawings are sold in galleries. In short, we have here a mechanism that runs, with a Pajak driving the mechanics. It must be said that the man is not just the author here. The reader (and of course the reader) finds him each time as a secondary character. The volume which appears today, January 7, could thus be titled “Lowry, Giacometti and me”.

A painful vision of creation

Why the author of “Below the Volcano”? For what reason was the designer of famous filiform sculptures? The reasons are easily explained. They are undoubtedly outsiders, outsiders, tormented and self-destructive. At Pajak, one must always possess the external signs of genius. With him, there is no creative routine. We are not in everyday writing, as Balzac or Flaubert practiced it. No beautiful pictorial regularity is possible in the manner of a Bonnard or a Braque producing paintings like an apple tree produces apples. Everything must happen in pain, the birthplace of real talent. An ultimately very romantic vision, especially when the two central figures do not find themselves caught up in the upheavals of history like Walter Benjamin or Marina Tsvetaïeva in previous titles of the series… or rather of the soap opera.

Alberto Giacometti is today as well known for his work as for his life, the latter having been the subject of excellent works from James Lord to Catherine Grenier. So there aren’t too many surprises there. Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957), however, remains little known to the French-speaking public. This Englishman, having lived almost everywhere, certainly does not remain the author of a single work, but “Under the Volcano” has consumed a lot of his energy. The man wrote four versions, the first three having been refused by all the publishers. The rest of his time was spent drinking. The thing seems to fascinate Frédéric Pajak, who details them one after the other. The Briton, like Giacometti, also experienced a complicated married life, all ending at home with an apparent suicide. No gunshots like Hemingway. Just barbiturates.

The two people who are the subject of the book having never met and ultimately having little in common, each remains in their place. Lowry at first. Giacometti at the end. As usual, Pajak produced drawings in rigorous black and white, sometimes drawing inspiration from old photographs. He infiltrated the story after the first as well as the second of his illustrated biographies. After ten volumes, the public soon knows everything about his real or dreamed life. Overall, it’s very well put together, even if we now know the tricks. There will undoubtedly be a sequel. “Uncertain Manifesto 11”. See you in one or two years.

(1) If she continues to lay off people, there will actually be only one man left.

Practical

“Uncertain Manifesto 10”, by Frédéric Pajak, Editions Noir sur blanc, 266 pages. Geneva exhibition at Galerie Ligne Treize, 29, rue Ancienne in Carouge from January 11 to February 21. Such. 022 301 42 30, https://galerielignetreize.ch Open Wednesday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Born in 1948, Etienne Dumont studied in Geneva which were of little use to him. Latin, Greek, law. A failed lawyer, he turned to journalism. Most often in the cultural sections, he worked from March 1974 to May 2013 at the “Tribune de Genève”, starting by talking about cinema. Then came fine arts and books. Other than that, as you can see, nothing to report.More info

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