New book explores Simone Boisecq's 'savage period' (1946-1960)

A new publication edited by Anne Longuet Marx, titled 'Simone Boisecq, la période sauvage (1946-1960)', examines the early work of French sculptor Simone Boisecq (1922-2012). The book focuses on her 'savage period', when she rejected figuration in favor of 'elementary' forms inspired by ethnographic art and the 'symbolic' spirit of primal cultures. Boisecq, who also wrote extensively on aesthetics, sought to capture the 'spirit of the thing' rather than its form, drawing on influences from African art encountered by André Derain and Pablo Picasso, as well as European masters like Jean Longuet, with whom she collaborated throughout her life. The collective volume, published by PURH at €25, includes numerous studies that aim to restore her place in 20th-century sculpture.