FRANÇOIS BARBÂTRE | Corridor no. 1

Jacques Elbaz, Paris

Paris, Berggruen & Cie, Barbâtre: pastels et dessins, 1984; catalogue, np., illustrated in colour

As a French self-taught painter known for his pastels and charcoals, François Barbâtre draws his inspiration from the works of Cézanne, Giacometti and Morandi. It is from 1977 that Barbâtre really mastered his technique and theorized the idea of "without support". "Without Support" refers to a painting by Mu-Chi (a Chinese painter, circa 1200-1250), "The Six Persimmons". The six persimmons are placed on a table that is not clearly represented. They are not in a vacuum but they come from another space, a paradoxical space, which echoes with Barbâtre’s Corridor Series. Numerous works of François Barbâtre are held by large public institutions such as the National Museum of Modern Art or the Centre Georges Pompidou.