Galerie Raf Van Severen
Pierre Alechinsky (Brussels, 1927)
Les Pleins et les Déliés, 1962
Oil on canvas
100 x 80 cm
Signed and dated
Provenance: Kunsthandel M.L. de Boer, Amsterdam, n° 8048; private collection, The Netherlands
'Les pleins et les déliés' is an abstract expressionist painting by the Belgian painter Pierre Alechinsky (1927). Alechinsky was one of the prominent members of the avant-garde group Cobra (1948-1951). Characteristic for the art movement of that time, Alechinsky applied a chaotic and dynamic use of colors, with red the main color in this painting. He got to that result by using wild brushstrokes. This painting is considered an early work in the oeuvre of Alechinsky and can be situated during the top period with the likes of Karel Appel. Paintings like 'Barbaars Naakt' (SMAK, Ghent) by Karel Appel used a similar color palette with again violent paint strokes. As a result, the figures in their paintings are barely obeservable. But that was basically what they were trying to achieve. Together, the members of Cobra all tried to bring over the same message in their paintings. They wanted to disrupt an existing order and harmony.
As this is an early work, the painting is still oil on canvas. Not much later in his career, Alechinsky made the full-time switch to mixed media on paper laid down on canvas. In the latter technique, the viewer can recognize elements of calligraphy. That became a passion for Alechnisky, after he visited Japan in 1955. In these paintings, he started expressing his love for calligraphy, by using it on the canvas itself, more specifically the typical ink.
Even in this painting, we can already notice a reference to calligraphy or handwriting. Just not yet on the canvas, but in the title. 'Les pleins et les déliés' is a concept used in calligraphy where 'Les Pleins' refers to the thick strokes or the full, bold lines made when writing. 'Les Déliés' refers to the thin strokes or the delicate, lighter lines. It is easier to comprehend by imagining a brush stroke. If it’s done vertically you get a thicker brush stroke, if done horizontally, it’s possible to get a finer stroke.