Soulages, Pierre

Pierre Soulages was one of the most influential representatives of contemporary abstract painting. The prelude to considerable success was his first exhibition in Paris, where he established significant, international relationships with Hans Hartung, Mark Rothko and Wilhelm de Kooning. The Museum of Modern Art in New York was already buying works by the artist for its collection. During this important creative phase, Soulages' works embodied an extraordinary antithesis to the rest of the art market. By resolutely reducing his work to the color black, Soulages established a unique position for himself in the art world early on, one that rarely allowed for comparisons to artists such as Pollock and Kline.
 

Linear, black, bar-like forms that appear powerful and dynamic are the main feature in his works. The concept of a clear composition of calligraphic forms on a white background distinguishes them from those of the representatives of American abstract expressionism and strongly sets them apart. Soulage's paintings do not present a likeness, cleverly bypassing representation and proving their presence. His effort to create a representation that is non-representational to the highest degree guides the viewer to contemplatively experience meaning.
 

With this intention, Pierre Soulages develops in his main creative period the highly appreciated "Outrenoir" paintings, whose peculiarity lies in their intense effect of height and depth. "Outrenoir" titles the black of the other side. The color effect seems to draw the viewer into the depths with it and absorb the light. Soulage's particular technique does not depict light, but incorporates it as a natural component. Through complex compositions and innovative, unconventional painting tools that create reliefs on the painting surface, Soulages explores how light reflections form on black surfaces. Depending on the incidence of light, the mood of the painting changes and is strengthened in its contrasting effect and painterly depth.
 

In keeping with the paintings, many of his etchings also focus on the tactile qualities of the work. Relief-like impressions of copper plates, on which he uses acid to create forms of the organic, point to the randomness in the processual, which plays an essential role in Soulages' printmaking oeuvre. Moreover, colorful nuances in red and blue animate his prints. Soulages participated 3 times in a row in the Documenta in Kassel and received, among many other prizes, the high award "Praemium Imperiale" for art in 1992.