1. André Masson, Gradiva, 1938-1939, © ADAGP, Paris, 2023 / Photo : © Georges Meguerditchian - Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI / Dist. RMN - GP
André Masson: a world without end - the infinite journey of an artistic exploration
The exhibition "André Masson: Il n’y a pas de monde achevé" (There Is No Finished World), curated by Chiara Parisi pays homage to one of the most revolutionary artists of the 20th century. This exploration of André Masson’s multifaceted oeuvre prompts us to examine how his work reflects the evolution of both art and the world he was surrounded with.
The show poses a critical question: How does André Masson’s journey of artistic rebellion and transformation challenge the notion of a finished world, revealing the power of constant creation and destruction?
Breaking from Surrealism - The birth of automatism
2. André Masson, Les cerfs-volants, 1927, Huile et sable et tempera sur toile, 97 x 108 cm, Galerie Jacques Bailly, © Adagp, Paris, 2023 / Photo : © Galerie Jacques Bailly
When World War I broke out, André Masson was still in Switzerland but soon returned to Paris to enlist into the war. After delaying his departure to complete a copy of a Delacroix, he joined as an infantryman.
Despite the harsh realities of trench warfare, the cold, and a chest wound during the Battle of Chemin des Dames, it was the war’s impact on his development that was profound.
Masson was also influenced by the Marquis de Sade, whose works he had discovered in a bookstore before heading to the front. Sade's revolutionary spirit and his depiction of violence and sexuality left a significant mark on Masson's work, which later reflected these themes.
From 1919, Masson spent two years in Céret, refining his art and marrying Odette Cabalé. Back in Paris in 1921, he met key figures like Max Jacob and Jean Dubuffet and moved to the vibrant 45 rue Blomet, where his art evolved significantly. He engaged with the avant-garde scene, connecting with figures such as Gertrude Stein. Despite his involvement with the Surrealists, Masson maintained his distinct style, influenced by figures like Novalis and engaged in significant collaborations, notably with Louis Aragon.
Masson’s experimentation with automatic drawing became a crucial contribution to Surrealism. His work with Michel Leiris highlighted a unique artistic partnership. By 1929, he began distancing himself from Surrealism, seeking a broader artistic expression. His interest in Eastern cultures deepened in the 1930s, influenced by Japanese writer Kuni Matsuo, and he explored new artistic avenues.
In his later years, Masson settled in Grasse, leaving Paris behind. He continued to produce innovative work, including engravings and theatre designs. Despite fewer public appearances, he remained an active painter and continued to engage with writers like H.G. Wells, exploring new creative horizons.
The impact of exile
3. André Masson, Torse aux taches de soleil, 1943, Huile et tempera sur toile, 96 x 84 cm, Collection particulière, © Adagp, Paris, 2023 / Photo : © Jean-Louis Losi
In February 1934, after witnessing a violent fascist demonstration in Paris, André Masson decided to exile himself to Spain with his partner Rose. In Spain, Masson was deeply influenced by Spanish culture, politics, and literature, discovering authors like Cervantes, which inspired works such as "The Chariot of Death".
Masson immersed himself in Spanish culture, exploring bullfighting and experiencing a supernatural event in Montserrat that also impacted his art.
Returning to France was challenging due to the Spanish Civil War and a shift toward darker expressionism. However, he found some harmony with the surrealist scene through collaborations with André Breton and illustrations inspired by "The Songs of Maldoror".
Masson continued his theatrical explorations with Jean-Louis Barrault, adapting "Hunger" by Knut Hamsun, which led him to delve into themes of chaos and thought.
Reacting to the political climate, Masson began to critique art and experiment with new techniques, including imaginary portraits influenced by Goethe and Heraclitus.
Amidst the Nazi occupation, he fled to Marseille before departing for America, where he collaborated with other surrealists and remained artistically active. Arriving in Martinique on March 31, 1941, Masson was profoundly influenced by the local culture and landscapes, which marked a turning point in his pictorial imagination, enriched by encounters with intellectuals like Aimé Césaire.
The richness of Martinique inspired him to explore local landscapes and ideas, evolving his style. Masson embraced Édouard Glissant's concept of creolization and Zen Buddhism, leading to brighter works that blended Eastern techniques with European influences.
In the United States, he met artists like Yves Tanguy and Alexander Calder, and his sand paintings were enthusiastically received and exhibited in prestigious institutions. Masson explored philosophical and metaphysical themes in his work, anticipating abstract expressionism with cosmogonic scenarios.
After the war, his work gained widespread recognition, with Peggy Guggenheim playing a key role in his American career, despite some tensions with the surrealist group. His art was presented in Europe and America, and he continued to evolve, influenced by Ovid's "Metamorphoses".
Returning to France, Masson resumed theatrical collaborations and worked on illustrations, drawing inspiration from French regions like La Rochelle and Aix-en-Provence, leading to a more fluid and dynamic style.
The influence of literature
and the search for liberation
4. La bibliothèque d'André Masson, © Adagp, Paris, 2024, © Centre Pompidou Metz / Photo : Marc Damage / 2024 / Exposition André Masson
World War I had a lasting effects on André Masson's life. After a doctor diagnosed him with an inability to live in the city and deep trauma, leading to lifelong psychological issues.
This context makes his interest in Freudian theories understandable, though it was Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis that significantly influenced him.
Masson's concept of automatism as "letting go" aligns with Lacan’s idea of the "symbolic order" existing between concrete reality and abstract ideas.
In the mid-1950s, Lacan acquired several of Masson's works for his office, commissioned Masson through Lacan's wife, Sylvia Maklès to create a cover for Courbet's "The Origin of the World" which Lacan had purchased. Masson used this opportunity to employ allegory, which he defined as "representation by signs of an invisible reality."
The next decade marked Masson's consecration as a leading figure in French cultural life. Based mainly in his Tholonet studio near Aix-en-Provence, he published new works like "The Painter and His Fantasies", exhibited widely from the U.S. to Japan, participated in events like the Venice Biennale, and was featured in a Cannes Film Festival documentary.
His work, focusing on eroticism, mythological symbols, calligraphic language, and gestural art, was extensively critiqued. In 1960, Jean-Paul Sartre's text "André Masson and Time" solidified his status and the current relevance of his practice.
In the 1970s, Masson's work became more focused on personal symbols and obsessions, inspired by authors like Shakespeare and Kafka, and lesser-known writers such as Lena Leclercq. His collaboration with Leclercq highlighted his passion for literature and its diverse realms.
Despite health issues in 1979 forcing him to quit painting, Masson concentrated on drawing and embraced Eastern influences, including Taoist texts and Zen Buddhism, impacting his creative process.
In his later years, Masson, too frail to fully enjoy the honors bestowed upon him, found solace in books, including works by his early friend Robert Desnos. Desnos, a prominent surrealist who died in Theresienstadt, was a significant influence. Masson's final years reflect a life intertwined with literature, encompassing an expansive and eclectic library.
Informations about the exhibition
Place: Centre Pompidou Metz
Date: 29.03.2024 – 02.09.2024
Curators: Chiara Parisi
Ticket: Available at the front desk of the museum
Informations about the Centre Pompidou Metz
Centre Pompidou Metz
1 Parvis des Droits-de-l'Homme
57 000 Metz
Phone: +33 (0)3 87 15 39 39
Mail: contact@centrepompidou-metz.fr