The Michael Werner Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of works on paper and one major sculpture by the French artist, Jean Fautrier (b. 1898 ' d. 1964).
Fautrier is considered one of the major European masters, and despite his great influence on generations of artists, he remains little known in the United States, with the exception of the later abstract paintings. This is the second exhibition of Fautrier's work at Michael Werner, following an exhibition of early works, Black Nudes from the 1920s, which was presented in 1998.
The exhibition consists of one bronze sculpture 'Femme Debout'from 1935, Fautrier's largest and most important sculpture, and a group of over 40 figurative ink and charcoal drawings from the 1940's. The bronze, a large standing female nude, is one of only 22 sculptures that Fautrier produced. The works on paper, all nudes rendered in sparse, expressionistic strokes, simultaneously evoke figuration and abstraction, hallmarks of Fautrier's style.
This is the first time in the United States that a large group of these works on paper have been shown. The exhibition of the sculpture and drawings should reveal the breadth and diversity of Fautrier's talents as not only a painter but also as sculptor and master draftsman.
Fautrier's work is in major public and private collections in Europe and has been the subject of numerous retrospectives over the last 30 years, including the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Kunsthaus Zurich, the Musee d'art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Moderna Museet, Stockholm, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Barcelona, and Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle, Cologne. He was awarded the Grand Prix International at the Venice Biennial in 1960 and the Tokyo Biennial in 1961.
The exhibition will be on view from 3 May through 6 July. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10am until 6pm. After Memorial Day, on 28 May, gallery hours will be Monday through Friday, from 10am until 6pm. A full-color catalogue will accompany the exhibition.
For further information, please contact the gallery.