User:GrisoGirl/Alain Girelli

Alain Girelli (Born July 13, 1948) is a French sculptor, painter and performance artist. He lives and works in Fayence. It was during his time spent with Max Ernst, who lived in Seillans during the last thirteen years of his life (from 1963 to 1976), that his desire to create was born, taking flight in his figurative works that increasingly became conceptual artworks.

Biography

His family, originally from Perugia in the region of Umbria in Italy, has worked with wood for generations as lumberjacks, charcoal merchants and forestry workers. He followed the family tradition and obtained his CAP wood-working diploma in 1966. After his military service, he was hired in 1969 at the woodworks Francis Laboire de Seillans. He produced doors, windows, stairs (including a spiral stairway, which is notably very difficult to execute), and rapidly advanced to become head of the workshop.

During this period, Max Ernst, the great Dada and Surrealist artist, lived in Seillans with his wife Dorothea Tanning. He moved to this small village after having visited his friend Patrick Waldberg, an art critic who fraternized with surrealist artists, and was married to a woman from the village. Legend has it that he parachuted into Seillans during the war, and he fell in love with this beautiful resident. Max Ernst, charmed by the village, bought a home there in 1964. Immediately after moving in he painted : « La fête à Seillans ». For his works on wood, he frequented the woodworking business where Alain Girelli worked, who was drawn to the artist from their first meeting.

An ancient cellar door that suffered from water damage on it's lower portion attracted the eye of Max Ernst who offered to buy the owner a new one in exchange for the damaged one. Girelli took charge of the task : fabricating a replacement door and installing it, then taking the old one and mounting it on a board. Max Ernst turned it over and transformed it into one of his D-paintings, D for Dorothea for whom, each year, he created a work of art (this work is featured in the catalog of Max Ernst in the Brühl Museum). Girelli then convinced his employer to let him work with the artist. His contact with the artist launched him into an unknown universe where he was fascinated by his painted, inscribed or scratched " forests ". Everything that he discovered from the artist opened his eyes and fed his spirit. He observed, asked questions, and immersed himself in his universe, and rapidly the desire to create was born.

Girelli, an expert in all things wood, created his first work of art : a high-backed throne chair with steps. The work consists of assembled wood made " using only a rasp ". His creativity in high gear, he explored various types of wood, using an ( expertise that, while being part of his family heritage, had until then only been used for practical purposes.

His only need being that to create, wood took on new dimensions explored by Girelli : drift wood or lacustres (lake wood) cut during a full moon and allowed to dry after having removed the bark. His first works immediately reflected a definite style and vision.

Proposing his works to the Maison des Métiers d’Art Français, in 1972 he was asked to participate in an exposition accompanied by other artists (Van Lith, Coville, Pelletier, etc.) from the region. Le Monde . featured an article about it in 1972.

Anne Gruner Schlumberger, a resident of Tourtour and friend of Max Ernst, saw his furniture at the Métiers d’Arts exposition. She ordered some of his " tree-sculptures " and furniture (one-of-a-kind pieces) for what would become her Fondation des Treilles, notably for the guest houses built by Pierre Barbe or for the property's ancient out-buildings.

While continuing to work for Max Ernst, he created a new range of furniture (primarily tables and chairs) that met with success. The Méchiche brothers, decorators with galleries in Paris, became his first buyers after seeing his chairs in several professional magazines. The Saint Jacques Gallery purchased his prototype « chaise ondulante » which had been created for the Alumine Gallery on rue Bonaparte à Paris.

Soon after, the Saint Jacques Gallery in Toulouse became interested in his work. For them he created a chaise ondulante, a prototype that would be installed in the Eiffel Tower restaurant.

As his creations were too fragile for out-door use, Jean-Louis Prat, director of the Maeght Foundation advised him to find a material that would better resist the elements (letter dated 1976). This was when he thought of cade wood, a species of juniper (juniperus oxycedrus) found locally, and primarily used for its oil, prized for its antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties, used in the treatment of mange in sheep. He often harvested this wood after forest fires (rot-proof, they remain standing many decades after dying). Jean Mas wrote an article about how the artist captured subterranean forces as he uprooted these trees with their torturous, twisted root systems .

Its rot-proof and fragrant characteristics, along with its hardness, interested Girelli who developed a series of important new sculptures with this new material, which he stained and lacquered in black.

A new graphic style based on simple shapes was born, but the lightness of the wood forced Girelli to find a solution to add substance and balance to his pieces. So he integrated weather-worn stones chosen according to their form, their beauty and their weight. He then engraved them with symbols inspired by Max Ernst's primitive scripts.

In February of 1977, he was invited to Le Bois et l’Homme, an important exposition that took place at the Paris-Orly airport where the masterpieces of the Musée de l'Homme were exhibited. An article appeared in Nice Matin . The television program Marche ou rêve, where he was interviewed by Georges Bégou, was recorded at this time. His Grand Arbre was seen by millions of viewers. At the end of the year, he accompanied Dorothea Tanning in the delivery of some of Max Ernst's work, and stayed at their home on rue de Lille.

In May of 1978, the Lucie Weil gallery showed Girelli's works next to those of Picasso, Miró, Max Ernst, Masson, etc. Jean-Paul Crespelle, France-Soir's art critic, put him in contact with César, the sculpteur, who appreciated his work and encouraged him to go even farther, and to create even more " fantastic thrones ".

In 1980, at the Salon of Fréjus where the art consultant was Olivier Lépine, he met architects from Paris who advised him to create works for public display, as their shapes and forms were well-suited for the large formats necessary. Following their advice, Girelli created large-scale sculptures, as large as four meters in height, in bronze, in cement, or in , Weathering steel. An article appeared in Var Matin . On July 21st, 1982, Nice-Matin published an article on the artist.

En 1983, the highway authority Escota ordered a monumentale sculpture in rot-proof wood that he named Soleil couchant for the Estérel-Côte d'Azur highway (dans le cadre du 1%) and thus he created hi first monumental sculpture in colored cement at the workshop of specialists Lafarge in Draguignan. It was then moved to its permanent home in the Châteauvert contemporary art museum . In 1986, he received the gold medal at the Salon FAM in Tourrettes-sur-Loup. The jury was composed of museum curators and fellow artists. Art Thèmes magazine published an article about his exposition in the hall in the Convent at Seillans . Maison française magazine devoted several pages to his works.

In 1988, Mireille Mathieu and her manager Johnny Stark, who saw his sculptures in the Concorde boarding gate à l'aéroport de Roissy airport, purchased some of his works. That same year he was invited to « Lahaye d'honneur » (a TV program by Jean-Luc Lahaye on TF1).

The following year in Cannes he met Henri Goetz (who was also displaying works at the Rencontres d’art contemporain at the old Palais Croisette). Goetz was a celebrated engraver and inventor of new techniques (carborendum printmaking) who found in Girelli's work " a great kinship among his shapes and structures, accompanied as the same time by a disciplined poetry in motion ". He proposed a trade.

The noted art collector Jacques Ginepro, expert on sculptures of the XIX et XX centuries, purchased works, including Gertrude, one of his female sculptures.In 1999, He promoted his entry into Bénézit , the dictionary devoted to visual artist. Thirty lines were devoted to him : " Girelli doesn't seek to tell stories, but to inspire a movement and to give a voice to the material, as demonstrated in his Totems ".

From this period, he would be features in many exhibitions and international shows like Art Jonction or the International Exposition of modern sculpture at the royal palace in Collioure (1991-92), then in 1991 in Grasse, at the Espace Chiris.

At the same time as his monumental Weathering steel sculptures, he created a limited edition of jewelry sculptures in semi-precious stones in collaboration with Claude Peletier, jeweler in Biot notably worn by Yvonne Desseux, Aimé Maeght's secretary

En 1992, his first personal exhibition, Cinquante sculptures, took place at the Palais de l’Europe in Menton. A catalog of his works was published by the Museum. That same year he won first prize at the Festival des Arts in Beaulieu, a prize that offered him the opportunity to create his first work in bronze. This was when he discovered the universe of foundries. In an article that appeared in Gala magazine that was dedicated to Karen Chéryl, many of Girelli's sculptures were featured in a 4-page spread .

Paint then entered into his works, first through the colored woods of his " Totems ", then by his geometric, multi-colored designs painted onto the white background of his sculptures. Painting on his sculptures is part of his uniqueness : « the paint applied to the sculpture becomes part of its form. The color joins with the shape to become part of the scupture's meaning in an eternal moment » (Jean Mas)

In1996, at l’Espace Eiffel, in a live performance he created a mold by hand of the ankle of his wife Dany. The event was financed by the famous Puyricard chocolate brand and was filmed by École du Journalisme de Paris. Résidences magazine featured his sculptures .

The same year, the American publication Architectural Digest published an article featuring several photos of his works .

Sister Emmanuelle on the throne of the King of the Forest

During an exhibition during the Jubilee year of Monte-Carlo in 1998, he met His Highness Albert II Prince of Monaco (Prince of Monaco since 2005) who sat on his The Throne of the King of the Forest, constructed of cade wood and natural stones.

In 2000, Sœur Emmanuelle lunched with him at his home in Seillans. She sat on one of his high-backed throne chairs.

In 2003, he was featured in an article appearing in Le Var Informations .

Exhibitions continued. The Galerie Européenne de la Forêt et du Bois featured his works during a six-month period. Afterwards, he exhibited in New York (Nathan Galleries purchased sculptures) in New Orleans, Tokyo, then Paris.

His works are included in numerous private collections around the world as well as in private art galleries like the Frédéric Gollong gallery in Saint Paul de Vence and in the Jean-Luc Méchiche gallery at 182 rue de faubourg Saint-Honoré and the Frédérique Mechiche gallery on rue de Thorigny.

In 2007 was the inauguration of « Loplop, le supérieur des Oiseaux, au caractère doux et féroce » a hommage to Max Ernst , which was a throne chair developed for him. The artist Pierre Pinoncelli sat on it. A story was featured in Supérieur Inconnu with a dedication by Sarane Alexandrian, author of essays and novels, as well as an art historian and literary critic who belonged to the surrealism movement.

Contemporary architecture publications with Luc Svetchine, architect and son of Andreï Svetchine, designer of the Léger museum in Biot

In 2013 in AD , article on a mansion where a Girelli chair was featured.

Still in 2013, from July 1st to 28th, he created an exposition in hommage to Max Ernst. A short video presentation where Alain Girelli explains his career path was created for the occasion .

En 2012, he participated in the Festival du Peu in Bonson

Girelli's art is varied, figurative art rooted in radical abstract.

Works in public display and collections.

• 1973 : La Fondation des Treilles .
• 1978 : École Maternelle Les Canoubiers, Cagnes sur mer.
• 1979 : École de Tourrettes, Var.
• 1983 : École de Mons, Var.
• 1983 : Escota, Highway Esterel-Côte d’Azur, rest stop "Jas de Pellicot", at the Puget-sur-Argens exit (Var).
• 1984 : Lices Sporting Complex in Toulon.
• 1986 : École du Muy, Monumental sculpture in cade wood, Var.
• 1987 : Centre d'Art Contemporain de Châteauvert : Monumental sculpture in cement (patented process INPI ), published in the magazine Art Thèmes
• Galerie Municipale d'Art Contemporain Remp'Art in Toulon; 1990 (a three meters high sculpture in steel, purchased by Doctor François Trucy, senator and mayor of Tulon). This work was then exposed in the mayor's annex at Toulon.
• 1992 : Menton Museum
• 2020 : Wallraf–Richartz Museum in Cologne, Germany.

Personal Exhibits

• 1978 : Lucie Weil Gallery, December-January 1977-1978 and from May 25 to July 12 1978, Paris.
• 1984 : Personal exhibition of 15 sculptures in the Nice-Côte d'Azur (Alpes-Maritimes) airport July 1-31.
• 1987 : Alain Girelli retrospective, financed by Express-béton and Ciments Lafarge-France, in the hall at the Couvent de Seillans, from August 21 to September 3.
• 1989 : Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport (May 9 to June 15).
• 1990 : Domestic departure area at the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, gate 2B, 20 sculptures exhibited.
• 1992 : European Palace in Menton, exhibition of 50 sculptures, including a steel monumental sculpture of 3 meters, published in the catalog.
• 1993 : In Seillans : 30 sculptures including "Loplop l'Homme supérieur des oiseaux, à cause de son caractère doux et féroce" in hommage to Max Ernst.

Group Exhibitions (selected)

• 1987: Cinquièmes Rencontre des Artistes Contemporains, organized by the "Défense des Arts Plastiques" association, at the Palais Croisette in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes), September 1 - 30.
• 1987 : Acropolis Nice, 80/80 Artistes Méditerranéens exhibit.
• 1988 : Sculpture en Liberté, organized by the city of Toulon.
• 1989 : MAC 2000, Manifestation d'Art Contemporain at the Grand Palais in Paris, November 24 to December 3.
• 1993 : Ceramics - Paintings - Sculptures in Cannes.
• 1993 : Salon Art Jonction at Galerie 50 A, exhibition of a monumental sculpture, September to November 14, Cannes.
• Festival des Arts de Beaulieu.
• Castel des Arts, organized by the Quartz group, September-October.
• Ceramics - Paintings - Sculptures in Cannes.
• 1994 : Art Festival, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, July-August.
• Sculptures, Paintings, Photographs, Castel des Arts.
• Métropole Gallery in Monaco, Contemporary Art exposition organized by the Quartz Group.
• 1995 : Salon Comparaison, Espace Eiffel, Paris, 7 au 23 avril.
• 1996 : Grands et Jeunes d’aujourd’hui, Espace Eiffel, Paris, Peinture Sculpture du 8 au 17 novembre.
• 1997 : Grands et Jeunes d’aujourd’hui, 1997, Espace Eiffel, Paris, Peinture Sculpture du 4 au 14 juillet.
• Grands et Jeunes d’aujourd’hui 2000 Espace Eiffel, Paris.
• Peinture Sculpture du 17 au 26 novembre.
• Festival des Arts de Beaulieu.
• Rencontres des Artistes Contemporains, Palais des Festivals, Cannes.
• 2000 : Comparaison 2000, Espace Eiffel, Paris, janvier au 6 février.
• Festival des Arts de Beaulieu, été.
• 2007 : Revue Architectures Contemporaines en Provence avec Luc Svetchine architecte auteur du Musée Léger de Biot.
• 2002 : Comparaison, L'art Actuel, 24 janvier au 4 février 2002 Espace Auteuil, Paris.
• 2004 : Comparaison, L'Art Actuel 22 janvier au 1er février 2004, Espace Auteuil, Paris.
• 2006 : Comparaison’', "Art en Capitale", Les Semaines de L'Art Actuel, du 9 au 20 novembre, Grand Palais, Paris.
• 2012 : Festival de Peu, Bonson, avec performance à l'encens de cade.
• 2013 : Exposition avec performance au Festival du Peu de Bonson.
• Exposition Hommage à Max Ernst par Alain Girelli. Du 1er au 28 juillet 2013, à Seillans, 83440.
• 2020 : Exposition avec performance au Festival du Peu de Bonson.
• En permanence à la Galerie Gollong de Saint Paul de Vence et la Nathan gallery à Broadway.

Prizes

• 1987 : Silver medal at the grand prix de peinture et de sculpture des Cent Ans de la Côte d'Azur, in Tourettes-sur-Loup (Alpes-Maritimes).
• 1989 : Gold medal from Nice Communication.
• 1989 : First prize from the Ville de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat at the exhibition Septembre des Arts.
• 1992 : First prize at the Festival of Arts in Beaulieu, the prize that enabled him to create his first work in bronze.

Art published in articles in newspapers and art magazines (selected)

• 1978 : Cover of the magazine Maison No. 23.
• 1980 : Décoration Internationale, No. 41.
• 1982 : Décoration Internationale, juillet-août.
• 1983 : Maison Française, No. 380, septembre.
• 1984 : Gala, home of Karen Cheryl.
• 1984 : Cover of Maison et Maison française, juillet-août.
• Maison Française, many appearances with Frédéric Méchiche gallery and Luc Svetchine.
• AD, juillet 1996 and 2013.
• Art thèmes, octobre-novembre 1986 and mai 1987.
• 1990 : Nice-Matin Toulon, 23 février.
• Toulon Magazine, No. 3 juin 1990 ( for his monumental sculpture ).
• AD, juillet 1996 et 2013.
• 1994 : Nice Matin, Magazine des Arts, 29 mai.
• 1994 : Magazine La Région, No. 105, septembre-octobre.
• 1994 : Var-Magazine, 9 mai.
• Nice Matin, 4 mai 1985, juin 1990,19 novembre 1995, 12 mai 1996 , 3 novembre 1996.
• 1995 : Dimanche magazine, 19 novembre.
• 1996 : Art pages of the Dimanche Magazine of Nice-Matin, 9 avril.
• 1999 : Figaro Méditerranée,  2 octobre.
• 1999 : Architectures Contemporaines.
• Numerous collaborations with Luc Svetchine for decorator and contemporary architectural magazines in Provence.
• 2001 : Casa, mai-juin.
• 2002 : AD, No. 20, mars.
• 2005 : Var informations, Mai de l’Art, Festival Transdisciplinaire in Saint-Raphaël, mai.
• 2005 : Ville Giardini, octobre.
• 2007 : Figaro Magazine, 6 avril.

Art Happenings

• 1983 : Performance at the Jardin des Arts à Fayence, filmed by France 3 Côte D'Azur for the program 19/20.
• 2011 : Along with ten students at a school in Callian and assisted by Pierre Pinoncelli, filmed by Art Côte d'Azur.
• 2011 : Espace d'art Alainjuno (with Jean Mas), from October 1st to 30th, 2011.
• 2012 : Festival de Peu de Bonson with an exhibition of the Cade incense .
• 2013 : Live exhibition in hommage to Max Ernst in Seillans.

[[Category:21st-century French sculptors]] [[Category:20th-century French sculptors]] [[Category:21st-century French painters]] [[Category:20th-century French painters]]