Jean Dubuffet - by himself: In spite of his prolixity, often deliberate, and his extraordinary confusion, Jean Dubuffet remains a central figure in French art. Until 20 December, Galerie Pascale Lansberg (36, rue de Seine, 40 51 84 34) is showing a selection of his work (gouaches, paintings, drawings in ink, assemblages) executed between 1942 and 1979. Surprises include a painting of 1943, “The little kiss”, “The telephonist” of 1954 and an astonishing “Signature” of 1960 in which the artist’s name in oil paint covers the whole surface of the canvas. The gallery has produced a catalogue, written by Antoine Helwaser, to accompany the exhibition.
An exhibition that presents Jean Hélion and Philippe Hortala in tandem, with the title “Town Art and Country Art”, is being held at Galerie Piltzer (16, avenue Matignon, 43 59 90 07) until 16 November. The confrontation of a painter of Hélion’s reputation with a young artist like Hortala, who seems set on a naïf course, using subjects of a banality matched only by the rustic simplicity of his technique, is certainly a bold one.
César represented France at the latest Venice Biennale with a series of recent models of motor cars compressed in a heap; these (which, by the way, will do nothing to guarantee his reputation to posterity) will be on show at Galerie Daniel Templon (30, rue Beaubourg, 42 72 14 10) until 13 November. As is the long-standing custom, big retrospective exhibitions provoke simultaneous presentations in the galleries.
To accompany the big George Baselitz exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (see p.16) two galleries are presenting work by the German artist, Galerie Laage-Salomon (57, rue du Temple, 42 78 11 71), Baselitz’s representative in Paris for many years, is showing a selection of recent work until 10 December, and Galerie Thaddeus Ropac (7, rue de Belleym, 47 72 99 00) is also showing a selection of his work.
Dutch art has been dominated for years by two artists whose outstanding work has overshadowed the work of several generations of young artists. One of them, Ger Van Elk, will be at the Galerie Durand Dessert (28, rue de Lappe, 48 06 92 23) until 30 November. On show are a succession of landscape paintings of the Kinselmeer and a series of self portraits organised to imitate the Stations of the Cross.
Jan Dibbets has some new works at the Galerie Lelong (13, rue de Téhéran, 45 63 13 19); once again geometry and finesse are at odds in his work.
Ufan Lee, a Korean who belongs to the same generation as the two Dutch artists, is exhibiting for the first time at Galerie Jacqueline Moussion (110/123 rue Vieille du Temple, 48 87 75 91); Lee worked for many years in Japan, where he was associated with Mono Ha, whose recent work was given prominence at the Musée de Saint Etienne a short while ago.
Two one-man shows by Italian artists are to be found in galleries specialising in painting from the far side of the Alps. The first artist, Marco Gastini, is presenting a single painting at Galerie Pièce Unique (4, rue Jacques Callot, 43 26 54 58) until the end of November; the second, Arcangelo, is at the Galerie Di Meo (9, rue de Beaux Arts, 43 54 10 98) until 23 November.
Pascal Pinaud, himself a painter, is presenting a group exhibition entitled “Side by Side”. Besides Pascal Pinaud, the group includes James Hyde, Helmut Dorner, Dominique Figarella, Beat Zodener, and the exhibition is at Galerie Nathalie Obadia (5, rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare, 42 74 67 68) until 27 November.
To conclude this autumn round-up, there are three one-man shows to be seen: Robin Collyer at Galerie Gilles Peyroulet (7, rue Debelleyme, 42 74 69 20) until 30 November; Ulrich Horndasch at Galerie Renos Xippas (108, rue Vieille du Temple, 40 27 05 55) from 14 November to 11 January; finally, the photographer Joan Fonteuberta at Galerie Zabriskie (37 rue Quincampoix, 21 42 72 35 47.)
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Baselitz to accompany Baselitz'