(1957) French artist

Robert Combas is a French painter and sculptor,  born May 25, 1957 in Lyon , France.He is widely recognized as a progenitor of the figuration libre movement that began in Paris around 1980 as a reaction to the art establishment in general and minimalismand conceptual art in particular. Figuration Libre is often regarded as having roots in Fauvism and Expressionism and is linked to contemporary movements such as Bad Painting ans Neo-expressionism. It draws on pop cultural influences such as graffiti,  cartoons and rock music in an attempt to produce a more varied, direct and honest reflection of contemporary society, often satirizing or critiquing its excesses. Combas’ own work has always been strongly rooted in depictions of the human figure. The figures are often in wild, violent or orgiastic settings. Usually on large, often unstretched canvases, Combas crowds his flat pictorial space with a teeming proliferation of bodies, street poetry and designs reminiscent of the compulsive patterning in much folk and outsider art. He creates hectic narratives of war, crime, sex, celebration and transgression—in short, every phase that makes up the constant flux of modern life. In recent years a strong autobiographical strain has been evident in his work, which was present only on a subliminal level, if at all, in the earlier work.

Festival AP'Art à Saint Remy de Provence

Lundi 12 juillet 2010 à 20H30 - Chateau des Alpilles : Peinture en direct avec modèle, cheval et apéritif par Robert Combas