Combas, Di Rosa, Dezeuze and Viallat: the four artists were all together as part of their joint exhibition at the Pop gallery in Sète.
“The moment is historic!” In front of the guest audience, Pascal Saumade, director of the Pop gallery in Sète, does not shy away from his pleasure and savors his good luck. As part of an exhibition entitled somewhat pompously “Carré d’As”, he achieved the feat of bringing together the main representatives of two major trends in French contemporary art. In this case: Robert Combas, Hervé Di Rosa for the free figuration and Claude Viallat, Daniel Dezeuze for supports/surfaces. A stone’s throw from Sète station, they all celebrated together the opening of their collective exhibition for an episode that will certainly remain for a long time in the memory of those present.
Relationship to the image
“There is no reconciliation since we have never been angry.” Visibly captivated by a Combas mobile made of branches and plastic pipes, Claude Viallat temporizes the exceptional character of this family reunion. “Everyone works on their line, it’s normal for currents to build in reaction to each other.” Because beyond the generational gap, it is in their respective relationship to image that the two trends are distinguished. Almost absent from supports/surface where the material often takes precedence over the subject, the image is on the contrary exalted by the proponents of free figuration who make it emerge from their sometimes very iconoclastic works.
Peace Sculpture
The punks of free figuration have therefore made peace with the theorists of supports/surfaces. A Pax Sculptura in this case, since it was only made possible on the condition of exhibiting no paintings but sculptures by each artist. As a gift, Mr. Combas, all in overalls, even gave a slightly taken aback Mr. Viallat a jutte canvas bag. A little behind, Mr. Dezeuze took refuge in front of the wall where a series of his Crossbows which dialogue with the anthropomorphic works in reclaimed wood of Mr. Di Rosa or with the sculptures still in wood of Mr. Combas. A way of paying homage, through the material, to this South that they all have in common. “A story of pebbles, garden picking and mystery”as Pascal Saumade also writes, who wrote this Tuesday evening in the beautiful city of Sète.
