biography
Alexis Lippstreu (born 1972) began drawing compulsively about ten years ago. Anything he does not draw he remains silent about, and when he does express himself in response to a direct request he does so in breathy monosyllables that hang by a thread. He has never spoken about his motivations or the meaning of his creations. His autism raises his art to the level of mystery. The mystery is not, however, encumbered with the creator's discourse, as is all too often the case; it leaves a broad margin for the viewer's own projections. The invitation to project our own reading onto the work also requires us to remain circumspect, even humble, in commenting on it.
It is true that the particularity of Lippstreu's work – “recreating” paintings by old masters – seems to offer the viewer keys that are all too obvious. However, works by da Vinci, Van Eyck, Degas, Gauguin, and others, are not simply the object of infinite variations in his work, but seem somehow to have rediscovered their substance. Only the bodies and faces seem worthy of being recreated with an almost supernatural presence; their backdrops and landscapes are at best handled as structural lines, or, more often, fade into a twilight storm of pencil shading. Picasso sought to push Vélasquez's Las Meninas to the limits in a virtuoso exploration of artistic style; the simplicity of Lippstreu's drawing heightens the humanity of the masterpieces he interprets, to the point that we see them in their pure essence – their quintessence. In parallel with the present exhibition, Alexis Lippstreu's work will be on show in Liège at the MAD – coeditors of the catalogue – and the BAL, where his “recreations” of Gauguin's Sorcier d'Hiva-Oa will be displayed alongside the original.
selective exhibitions
Art brut : Breaking the boundaries, Treger-Saint Silvestre Collection, from June 1st to September 11th, 2014 curator : Christian Berst, Olivia Creative Factory, Sao Joao da Madeira, Porto
Biennale Internationale Hors-les-Normes, Lyon, 28 septembre- 6 octobre 2013
Alexis Lippstreu et Ody Saban, Mad Musée, Liège, 16 février 2013
Alexis Lippstreu, quintessentiel à la galerie christian berst du 07 décembre 2012 au 12 janvier 2013.
The Museum of Everything, Chalet Society, Paris, 2012
Espace Culture, Marseille, 16 mars- 2 avril 2012
Alexis Lippstreu Ody Saban, Musée de la Création Franche, 2011
Débridés, Maison de la Culture, Province de Namur, 2009
Dessins d’aujourd’hui « Homme-terre-ciel », Musée Rignault, 2009
La pommeraie, l'art brut dans son verger à la galerie christian berst du 12 décembre 2008 au 17 janvier 2009
L’art différencié, exposition au Moulin des Acacias, Fontanil-Cornillon, 2007
selective bibliography
Exhibition catalogue "Treger-Saint Silvestre Collection",from June 1st to September 11th, 2014,Porto, Olivia Creative Factory, Sao Joao da Madeira, ed. galerie christian berst art brut, Paris
"Alexis Lippstreu's work and influences" by Bruno Gérard in Raw Vision, printemps 2013.
Alexis Lippstreu, quintessentiel, (catalogue d’exposition galerie christian berst du 7/12/2012 au 12/01/2013, MADmusée du 30/11/2012 au 16/02/2013 et BAL du 30/11/2012 au 16/02/2013), textes de Bruno Gérard, Virginie D’haene, Jacques Charlier, Pierre Muylle et Christian Berst, Paris, coédition galerie christian berst, MADmusée et le Centre de la Pommeraie, 2012.
Everything # 4, catalogue d’exposition (2 septembre-25 octobre 2011) Londres, The Museum of Everything, 2011
Débridé(e)s, bride n.f. Pièce d'un harnais fixée sur une tête pour la diriger, sous a direction de Bruno Gérard, Ellignies-Sainte-Anne, Centre La Pommeraie, 2009.
Univers cachés, l'art outsider au Musée Dr Guislain, Tielt, Edition Lannoo, 2007.
Art en marge, Collection, Sous la direction de Carine Fol, Belgique, Art en marge a.s.b.l, 2003.
Bruno Gérard, 25 Artistes du Centre La Pommeraie, Ellignies-Sainte-Anne, Centre La Pommeraie, 2000.
catalogue
selective collections
selective press review
- alexis lippstreu, quintessentiel authors Philippe Godin in Paris Art, January 7 2013.
- le regard singulier de lippstreu authors Valerie de Maulmin in connaissance des arts, january 2013.
- alexis lippstreu authors Vincent Delaury in L'oeil, january 2013.
- Dans le cerveau d'Alexis par Christian Berst et Chalet Society authors Marie de la Fresnaye in blog de Marie de la Fresnaye, December 17.
- exposition d'alexis lippstreu : quintessentiel 2012-2013 à paris authors in Foxoo, l'actu de Paris , November 22 2012.
- La Pommeraie, l'art brut dans son verger authors in Télérama sortir, January 14th 2009.
- Vernissage et Fous vernis authors in Animula Vagula, January 8th 2009.
- La Pommeraie dans son jus authors in Animula Vagula, November 14th 2008.
