Le Tableau: French Abstraction and Its Affinities
Curator and painter Joe Fyfe organized the exhibition 'Le Tableau: French Abstraction and Its Affinities' at Cheim and Read gallery in New York from June 24 to September 3, 2010. The show brought together 24 artists spanning three generations, including École de Paris figures like Serge Poliakoff and Hans Hartung alongside contemporary New York painters such as Jonathan Lasker and Louise Fishman. The exhibition aimed to highlight the distinct French concept of 'tableau'—which encompasses the object, history, methodology, and symbolism behind a painting—as opposed to the American term 'painting,' which focuses on the act of painting itself. Fyfe argued that this linguistic difference reflects fundamental divergences in artistic approaches, particularly in abstract painting. The exhibition included works from Jean Fautrier (1956) to recent pieces by Juan Uslé and Daniel Hesidence. Fyfe's project continued a dialogue initiated by German art historian Achim Hochdorfer in a February 2009 Artforum article. The show was part of a broader reevaluation of post-war French abstract painting, which had long been dismissed by American critics. Fyfe noted that American painters are now finding solutions to their questions in the work of the École de Paris and Support/Surface artists. The exhibition was accompanied by a text by Fyfe and an interview with French painter Gwenael Kerlidou.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Le Tableau: French Abstraction and Its Affinities' ran from June 24 to September 3, 2010 at Cheim and Read, New York.
- Curated by painter and critic Joe Fyfe.
- Included 24 artists: Richard Aldrich, Martin Barré, Jean Fautrier, Louise Fishman, Joe Fyfe, Hans Hartung, Daniel Hesidence, Charline von Heyl, Merlin James, Jonathan Lasker, Jean-François Maurige, Joan Mitchell, Miquel Mont, Katy Moran, Bernard Piffaretti, Serge Poliakoff, Sarah Rapson, Milton Resnick, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Kimber Smith, Cheyney Thompson, Juan Uslé, Claude Viallat, John Zurier.
- The term 'tableau' contrasts with 'painting' to emphasize a French approach that sees the artwork as a pre-established construct with known properties.
- Fyfe's concept was inspired by Hubert Damisch's use of 'tableau' in the 1970s regarding Jean Dubuffet.
- The exhibition continued a dialogue from Achim Hochdorfer's February 2009 Artforum article 'A Hidden Reserve: Painting Between 1958 and 1965'.
- Fyfe had been planning the exhibition for nearly a decade, visiting Paris regularly.
- The show aimed to counter American prejudices against French abstract painting.
- Fyfe cited Serge Guilbaut's book 'How New York Stole the Idea of Modern Art' as analyzing the competitive dynamic.
- The exhibition included a press release and an interview with French painter Gwenael Kerlidou.
- Fyfe also curated a Hans Hartung exhibition at Cheim and Read in 2010.
Entities
Artists
- Joe Fyfe
- Serge Poliakoff
- Hans Hartung
- Jonathan Lasker
- Louise Fishman
- Jean Fautrier
- Juan Uslé
- Daniel Hesidence
- Richard Aldrich
- Martin Barré
- Charline von Heyl
- Merlin James
- Jean-François Maurige
- Joan Mitchell
- Miquel Mont
- Katy Moran
- Bernard Piffaretti
- Sarah Rapson
- Milton Resnick
- Jean-Paul Riopelle
- Kimber Smith
- Cheyney Thompson
- Claude Viallat
- John Zurier
- Hubert Damisch
- Jean Dubuffet
- Achim Hochdorfer
- Gwenael Kerlidou
- Robert Ryman
- Brice Marden
- Luc Tuymans
- Simon Hantaï
- Joe Zucker
- Richard Prince
- Jeff Koons
- Jenny Holzer
- Damien Hirst
- Blinky Palermo
- Noël Dolla
- Christian Bonnefoi
- Saul Ostrow
- Robert Morgan
- Raphael Rubinstein
- Yve-Alain Bois
- Harold Bloom
- Emmanuel Mounier
- Olivier Messiaen
- André Bazin
- Molly Warnock
- Louis Kahn
- Serge Guilbaut
- Pierre Soulages
- Wols
- Gerard Schneider
- Georges Matthieu
- Kate Moran
- Juan Usle
- Jean-Francois Maurige
- Willem de Kooning
- Michel Tapié
Institutions
- Cheim and Read
- Art In America
- Artforum
- Wexner Center
- Andrew Kreps Gallery
- Paul Kasmin Gallery
- École de Paris
- Support/Surface
- Capitole (Dhaka)
- University of Chicago
- Cheim & Read
- Maeght Foundation
- Cheim & Read Gallery
- artcritical
- New York Sun
Locations
- New York
- Paris
- Brooklyn
- Dhaka
- Bangladesh
- Columbus
- Ohio
- Lower East Side
- United States
- France
- Germany
- New York City
- San Paul de Vence
- Southeast Asia
- Chelsea
- Canada
- Russia
Sources
- artpress —
- artcritical —
- artcritical —