Louis CANE (1943-) is one of the leading figures of the French contemporary artists. He, who joined the artistic movement “Support/Surface” that flourished in France for several years from 1969 , focused on the surface of the canvas (=Surface) and the framework (=Support). “ What we generally see when we see pictures is no more than the surface of it, which is only the substance of oil colors on the linen clothes,” is his theory and started to produce the works with their canvases cut out so as to expose their structures and backsides.
Whereas “ Support / Surface ” movement was being brought to its end, Louis Cane, from about 1975, started to draw semi-abstract paintings based on the traditional by Cezanne, Giotto and so on. By painting on the masterpieces of past tradition, he continued to pursue how to mix the coloring experience and the life experience.
The coloring is one inevitable and essential element of works of Louis Cane. He manipulates colors with airing and stretching, so that the outlines and aspects of them are altered in order to approach the illogicality created by the coloring delight. He says he found “the way to discover the colors hidden in the air” and his latest works are more color-conscious with inconspicuous casing (Support) such as aluminum and glass fiber.
---------------------