Buying etching ink at the venerable Charbonelle store in Paris this past May, I came across a leaflet for a printmaking exhibition featuring 44 French artists mounted by Atelier Grognard in Malmaison. It was an easy half hour train ride from Paris. Here’s a brief sampling of the accomplished artists and their wonderful print works.
Entrance to the Atelier Grognard. The print show ran from 11 April to 16 June 2014.
Roland Laforcade – A deeply etched plate and vibrant colour.
And the deeply etched plate; a beautiful object in it’s own right.
Eric Fourmestraux’s installation, Le temps a passes et a repasse (homage to Man Ray). He carves the wood ironing board, using it as the plate. Brilliant.
And then he pressed the hot iron into the print.
Pierre Soulages elegant approach, and the plates become a sculpture.
Jo Ann Lanneville’s serigraph, Colorful souls 1.
The exhuberant work of Yayoi Kusama, La citrouille jaune.
Claire Le Chatelier uses chine colle beautifully in her garden inspired piece, titled Tamachal.
Cecile Reims, Forteresse de paille, one of 15 prints in her artist book.
In a vitrine, the plate and book.
Christine Gendre-Berger honours her printmaking friends with a series of prints for her artist book. Exquisitely detailed and thorough work.
The Atelier Grognard is a very well lit and airy space, with integrated remnants of an industial workspace. Large wheels echo the work space of printmakers.
The use of colour throughout the gallery enhances the work.
This day trip from Paris had a bonus. Just around the corner from the Atelier Grognard is Chateau de Malmaison, the former estate of Josephine and Napoleon, now held in trust and open to the public.
ATELIER GROGNARD www.mairie-rueilmalmaison.fr
CHATEAU DE MALMAISON www.chateau-malmaison.fr
CHARBONNEL (founded in 1862) www.charbonnelshop.fr