Philippe Cazal's Zigzag Career Surveyed in Artpress Retrospective
Since the 1970s, Philippe Cazal, a French artist, has delved into social, economic, and political realms, influenced by commercial aesthetics and the history of art. His creations do not follow a straightforward narrative but instead revisit recurring themes. Cazal offers a critique of the art scene, likening his work to that of cinema. Currently, a retrospective of the group Untel, which he was part of from 1975 to 1980, is displayed at La Galerie in Noisy-le-Sec until April 27. Among his early pieces is the 1971 photo series "La Bourgeoisie." Notable projects include "Semaine fermée" (1972), "Je perds mon temps" (1978), and the 1980 exhibition "Une idée en l'air" in New York. He also launched the magazine "Public" in 1984, with later works such as "Carnet(s) d'affiches" (1994) and "Litanies" (2000).
Key facts
- Philippe Cazal began his career in the early 1970s.
- His work critiques social, economic, and political space using commercial and advertising aesthetics.
- Cazal was a member of the group Untel from 1975 to 1980.
- A retrospective of Untel is on view until April 27 at La Galerie in Noisy-le-Sec.
- His first work, 'La Bourgeoisie' (1971), is a series of 16 photo-sequences.
- In 1978, he created land art pieces 'L'Irréversible' and 'Fatalité' in Cahors.
- He curated 'Une idée en l'air' in New York in 1980 with AFAA.
- He founded the magazine 'Public' in 1984.
- In 1985, his signature was designed by the agency Minium, branding himself.
- 'La Magie du succès' (1986) was exhibited at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
- He created 'Vingt slogans de Mai 68' in Japan in 1998.
- 'Litanies' (2000) used words from Le Monde and Libération.
- 'Arrière plan Premier plan' (2001) features 24 acrylic paintings with scrambled text.
Entities
Artists
- Philippe Cazal
- Jean-Paul Albinet
- Alain Snyers
- Wilfrid Rouff
- Naomi Klein
- Pierre Bourdieu
- Pablo Picasso
Institutions
- Artpress
- La Galerie, Noisy-le-Sec
- Untel
- École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs
- AFAA (Association Française d'Action Artistique)
- Public (magazine)
- Minium (agency)
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- 10e Biennale de Paris
- CCC à Tours
- Parking Hoche, Rennes
- Le Monde
- Libération
- Parachute (magazine)
Locations
- Noisy-le-Sec
- France
- Bordeaux
- Cahors
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- Nîmes
- Lacanau
- Gironde
- Japan
- Tours
- Rennes
Sources
- artpress —