Mitterrand is delighted to be taking part once again in TEFAF Maastricht, where it will be presenting a selection of works by artists whose work it supports, including Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne and Roberto Matta, as well as other major figures from the second half of the 20th century such as Hans Hartung, Robert Morris, Steven Parino, A.R. Penck, Ed Ruscha, Richard Serra, Pierre Soulages and Andy Warhol.
François-Xavier Lalanne's monkeys are indisputably one of the artist's most accomplished works. This Paire de Singes Alternatifs is a perfect illustration of Lalanne's quest for perfection in the drawing and his mastery of the form.
The Choupatte is one of Claude Lalanne's earliest works. It was with this work that she most brilliantly expressed her use of the electroplating technique, which consists of immersing cabbage leaves in an electrolytic bath to obtain copper imprints. Claude Lalanne produced Choupatte for her gallerist Alexandre Iolas, and it was acquired by an American collection.
Other works by the French couple will also be on show at Maastricht, including the iconic Moutons, de pierre et de laine, a Petit Rhinocéros Mécanique, and two Pommes Bouches.
Two of Matta's historic works will be on show, including May First Be First (Sketch for The Cast) (1947-49). “It features the figure of the archer in the guise of a threatening, hieratic, dominating mechanical creature wearing a helmet. (…) According to Matta, the poet or artist had become a “target in the world” for merely denouncing, expressing outrage, and standing up for people. (…) After the Second World War, rising consciousness of the artist’s role as a force of resistance to all forms of coercion would structure his political paintings and his activism. This painting comprises one of the first examples of the politically engaged works that still have power and relevance today. (Fabrice Flahutez)
