Gaston Chaissac (1910-1964) Ripolin On Masonite

Ripolin paint on Masonite, signed G. CHAISSAC (Gaston Chaissac 1910-1964), countersigned on the back, numbered 543, dated 1960, and located in La Roche-sur-Yon. An abstract composition featuring geometric shapes in bright, contrasting colors, the whole outlined by black lines delineating the flat areas of color, imbued with spontaneity and naive poetry. Good condition, worn lacquered frame, dimensions: 67 cm x 52 cm / visible area: 54 cm x 39 cm. This work is related to a 15-page sketchbook sold by Franke Auction House in Nuremberg on October 20, 2022 (see attached document). Gaston Chaissac occupies a unique place in 20th-century art, at the crossroads of several movements without ever truly integrating into any of them. A self-taught artist, he developed a unique style blending abstraction, figuration, and folk influences. Born in 1910 in Avallon, Burgundy, he led a life marked by wandering and pivotal encounters, notably with the German sculptor Otto Freundlich and the painter Jeanne Kosnick-Kloss, who encouraged him to dedicate himself fully to painting from the 1930s onward. He also maintained a fruitful correspondence with Jean Dubuffet, who saw him as an emblematic figure of Art Brut, although Chaissac claimed a more personal approach. From the 1950s onward, his artistic language became more defined. Refusing to confine himself to pure abstraction or simplified figuration, he drew his inspiration from his daily life, the surrounding nature, and the rural world that shaped him. This period marked a turning point in which he forged a singular aesthetic, characterized by formal freedom and a vibrant palette. His work, often associated with that of the artists of the CoBrA group, was notably put in dialogue with them during an exhibition at the Soulages museum in 2021, thus highlighting its place in the artistic questions of his time.