Maurice Cadou-rocher (1940–2014) - Archipel Group - Nantes - 1972

• Large oil on canvas, signed and dated1972 in the lower right corner

• In very good overall condition

• 105 cm high x 85 cm wide

"Maurice Cadou-Rocher began his artistic journey as a self-taught artist. This native of Nantes, who had been painting since childhood, found within himself the strength for a unique and independent form of expression. It was therefore only natural that this solitary artist, who began exhibiting as early as 1964, would join the ranks of the Archipel artists.

Cadou-Rocher’s art is first and foremost an art of instinct, enriched by Cubism and later by Surrealism—though he never fully succumbed to the latter. In the manner of Joan Miró or Gaston Chaissac, whose works he admires, his artistic exploration is autonomous; he does not copy. He begins without any preconceived ideas. The drawing is tentative; the lines are constantly changing, until a form emerges and asserts itself—often a head or a face. Variations on this motif seek to bring forth something unknown from the same face.

His expressive and spontaneous drawing, along with his often vivid use of color, intertwine to the point of the unrecognizable, unleashing unusual beings and forms far removed from reality.

Between 1965 and 1970, the artist developed his own artistic language. He created a personal technique based on wax, glue, and water. By mixing these materials, he achieved unique glazes and colorful transparencies. For this free-spirited artist, creation takes many forms. His artistic experiments gradually led him to sculpture. This evolution is evident in more structured compositions featuring defined volumes and shapes that blend dreamlike quality with precision. We find this same spirit in his wood carvings, where forms, heads, and faces emerge by following the grain of the wood."