MICHEL BOULANGER

Belgian artist Michel Boulanger (1944-2024) practices brush drawing, but his approach is more complex and includes different layers. For him, it is about establishing a physical presence of the work, which is then appreciated as a sculpture. Whether it is the Caisse et 1 son 1971-73 (1978) or Boîte de Zagora (1985), we see that the artist is concerned with the resonance of the work and its echo in the space which surrounds it.

For Michel Boulanger, drawing is the trace of a perpetual questioning. The precise and demanding gaze he casts on his models reflects his infinite curiosity. 
Faced with a naked body, he does not simply seek to find a form of sensuality, but he attempts to capture the very essence of the body in question. The drawing then acquires a harsh character, without complacency with reality. If the creative gesture is often fleeting, the observation that precedes it can be very long. A state of maximum receptivity close to meditation is essential so that suddenly and without any form of premeditation, the artist begins to run the brush over the sheet. He is, he says, listening to the body of the paper, the brush and the ink, which "coagulate lovingly."

Sometimes Boulanger orchestrates confrontations between his drawings. He assembles works from different periods which, initially autonomous, reveal themselves to one another. This work of relating or composing is as integral to his creative process as the drawing itself. As if he were attributing autonomy to his works, the artist piles up and preserves his drawings in the hope that they will finally reach to the truth after a more or less long time.

Michel Boulanger 01 8 15. 2015. Ink on paper + baton. Variable sizes
 
Michel Boulanger  01 8 15. 2015. Encre sur papier + baton. Dimensions variables
Michel Boulanger  Un pas. Fer sur plâtre. Edition de 7 exemplaires 12 x 27 x 16 cm
Michel Boulanger Sans titre. Encre sur papier. 33,6 x 27,4 cm
Michel Boulanger 20.10.04  Encre sur papier 61 x 19,5 cm
previous arrow
next arrow

©2022 All rights reserved Galerie Bernard Bouche
Legal mentionsPolitique de confidentialité