Launching their 4th edition of this drawing fair, with sixty-six mostly French/Parisian galleries and a small selection of other galleries from Europe, the United States and South Korea, the Salon du Dessin Contemporain proves again that it is an outstanding showcase for presenting the oeuvre of works on paper.
Located in the spacious Carrousel du Louvre in central Paris, the fair had a lively ambiance from the moment the doors opened, with collectors quickly making the rounds to search for Contemporary gems in this environment focused on one specific medium.
Navigating through the aisles, there were some quite strong works to be admired. Among the more interesting were works by Frédéric Coché to be found at Galerie La Ferronnerie, Paris 11e. These delicate, well-executed drawings depict «the brief moments that can/will change a life forever», as was described by the artist himself, who was in attendance. Two larger works, of roughly 24 x 30 inches, that portrayed destroyed or in the act of being destroyed Classicist works (Rembrandts – see below) were being offered for a quite reasonable 3500€. Smaller works (approx. 8 ½ x 11 inches) depicting singular scenes of an execution, a mass grave and….. of lottery balls!, were offered for 700€.
Frédéric Coché, 14 septembre 1975, dimanche après-midi, 2010, graphite on paper, 57,2cm x 69,7cm © Galerie La Ferronnerie Paris
Also from Paris, Galerie ALFA, Paris 6e, was showing a series of drawings titled A History of Filmmaking by the young artist Mathieu Dufois. Interesting in their handling of graphite, in their installation as well as conceptually, the series is the artist’s conception of an imaginary scene that was never included in Hitchcock’s «North by Northwest». The drawings are the result of a well-documented conversation between Hitchcock and François Truffaut, in which Hitchcock described Carey Grant meeting with an executive at an automobile factory, the scene developing and resulting in the discovery of a body at the end of the sequence. Having never been shot by the famous director, Mr. Dufois has been able to capture the drama wonderfully in 2 dimensions. This compendium which takes the form of a wall-hung storyboard was on hold almost immediately after the fair opening, for 22,000€.
Mathieu Dufois A History of Filmmaking, 2010, graphite on paper, series of 34 drawings in different formats.
From further afield, Galerie Zink, Munich displayed a small selection of works by the Japanese artist Fumie Sasabuchi, who currently resides in Germany. The works consist of single or two-page editorial spreads from fashion magazines, which are then skillfully manipulated with solvent and then drawn upon, the models’ skin becoming transparent, exposing musculature and bones, the environments becoming odd, museological spaces displaying unusual minimalist forms. These reinterpretations of high-fashion scenes into one of disintegrating flesh readily creates an intersting commentary on death/vanitas in a contemporary context. Works were priced at a sensible 1800€ for single sheets, 3600€ for 2 page spreads.
Fumie Sasabuchi, Untitled, 2009, ball pen, fashion magazine, 27,5 x 20,7 cm
Last, but certainly not least is Perugi ArteContemporanea from Padova, Italy. Showing a collaboration for former Canadian art collective Royal Art Lodge members Michael Dumontier, Marcel Dzama and Neil Farber, the gallery presented a fantastic installation of dozens of small paintings, installed like a horizon line in their corner booth. Prices ranged from 200€ to 600€ for 2 inch to 6 inch square works. These small, witty, often incredibly humorous works were eyecatching enough to keep visitors on the stand examining the works for longer than one would expect in the context of a fair. Their small scale, bright colors and hilarious scenes definitely set these works apart from the rest of the fair.
Overall, the 4th edition of this brilliant fair was again a great pleasure to visit. Often consigned to the backrooms of galleries, serious collectors know the value, often easily affordable, of drawings and other works on paper and the Salon du Dessin is a superb and energetic event to make new discoveries.
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This article contributed by guest writer Thomas Rugani, a private dealer of design objects and works on paper residing in Paris.
