Gazette Drouot logo print
Lot n° 100

ROBERT COMBAS (B. 1957) Octopus, octopus, pouffre...

Estimate :
40 000 - 60 000 EUR

ROBERT COMBAS (B. 1957) Octopus, octopus, pouffre in Sète slang 2017 signed acrylic on canvas signed acrylic on canvas 195 x 97 cm. 76 3/4 x 38 3/16 in. Footnotes: This work is listed in the Atelier Robert Combas archives. A certificate signed by the artist will be given to the buyer. Provenance Galerie Strouk, Paris Galerie Stéphane Alaux, Valencia Private collection, Paris Between praise for eroticism, autobiographical moments and fantasy, the work of Robert Combas is a hybrid repertoire inspired by comic strips, television and our everyday lives. A true leader of Figuration Libre, the artist bites paint, scratches tubes and screams color in a wild, sweaty way, making Picasso's phrase his own: "I choose colors insofar as I hear them scream". In Combas's case, it seems to be his entire body of work that screams, like the port of Sète. Tackling popular themes, in the noblest sense of the word, he depicts and asserts a painting of society. Like a long frieze cut into a multitude of tales, his figurative work reveals man's primitive instincts, mocking his dreams, his occupations, his sexuality, leaping greedily from one century to the next. In 1981, Bernard Lamarche-Vadel organized the emblematic "Finir en Beauté" exhibition, in which the four protagonists Robert Combas, Hervé Di Rosa, François Boisrond and Rémy Blanchard took part, soon to be joined by Louis Jammes and Buddy Di Rosa. Otto Hahn aptly revealed the link between the movement and creation across the Atlantic, and organized a legendary meeting in New York with Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and Tseng Kwong Chi. The title of the exhibition is tautological: "Statements New York 1982. Leading contemporary artists from France". Under their uninhibited brushes, the paint laughs and reveals, between its primary colors, the acuity of their unique style. Spontaneous, offbeat and youthful, Figuration Libre democratizes art. In this work, La pieuvre, le poulpe, le pouffre in Sétois slang, created in 2017, the artist unveils a tentacled mollusk in an unruly space studded with colors in which our gaze plunges and wallows. The black circles, necessary for understanding the work, underlie the lines of force that Robert Combas has masterfully cast. His gesture has the mastery of limpid thought. The absence of perspective, meanwhile, reinforces the idea of a fairytale world, corroborated by the oversized presence of the marine protagonist, turning this narrative into a sparkling fable. Flamboyant and fun-loving, this work, with its intoxicating lightness and tangy tone, tickles a childhood memory in all of us. Combining a celebration of eroticism, autobiographical moments and fantasy, Robert Combas's Oeuvre is a hybrid repertoire inspired by comic books, television and the minutiae of daily life. A leading artist of the Figuration Libre movement, Combas bites into his paintings, scratches at the tubes and screams out colour in a clammy and wild manner, making Picasso's words his own: 'I choose colours insofar as I hear them shout'. With Combas, it seems that his entire body of work is yelling, much like the port of Sète. Addressing popular themes, in the noblest sense of the term, he depicts and professes his portrayal of society. Like a long frieze divided into a multitude of tales, his figurative work reveals mankind's primitive instincts, mocking its dreams, its pursuits, its sexuality, leaping with relish from one century to the next. It was in 1981 that Bernard Lamarche-Vadel organised the iconic exhibition Finir en Beauté (end with a bang), featuring the four leading figures Robert Combas, Hervé Di Rosa, François Boisrond and Rémy Blanchard, soon joined by Louis Jammes and Buddy Di Rosa. A movement condoned by Ben-as he is commonly known-for which Otto Hahn aptly revealed the link uniting the group with the creative scene across the Atlantic, and organised a legendary gathering in New York with Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and Tseng Kwong Chi. The exhibition's title was tautological: 'Statements New York 1982. Leading contemporary artists from France'. Under their uninhibited brushstrokes, their art laughs and reveals, amidst its primary colours, the sharpness of their unique style. Spontaneous, offbeat and youthful, Figuration Libre democratized art. In this work La pieuvre, le poulpe, le pouffre in Sétois slang, created in 2017, the artist unveils a tentacled mollusc in an unruly space studded with colours into which our gaze plunges and wallows. The black outlines, essential to understanding the work, underpin the lines of force that Rober