Henri MICHAUX (1899-1984)

Untitled, 1967 Acrylic on Angoumois paper Monogrammed lower right 59 x 90 cm Provenance Galerie Le Point Cardinal, Paris Former Paolo Marinotti collection Private collection, Paris Exhibition Henri Michaux - Les années de synthèse, 1965-1984, 2022, N°3. After interrupting his medical studies, Michaux turned to writing poetry, which he succeeded in having published. He mixed drawing and painting with his writing, which sometimes coexisted in his publications. Briefly associated with the Tachiste movement in the 40s and 50s, he experimented with a variety of techniques, including Indian ink, watercolor, wash, gouache and acrylic. A constant seeker, he wanted to explore his own capacities to the full, and to rid himself of external constraints, which is why he used drugs. He then paints his hallucinogenic representations of faces and heads. This work bears witness to his experiments with drugs, sometimes carried out under the supervision of a doctor: it's a scientific approach that allows him to observe the artistic creation that results. It's all about self-observation.