The «Painting and Drawing» exhibition of the French artist Philippe Pasqua will occur in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art as part of the France-Russia Year. It will display to the viewers token canvases, produced by the artist during the recent 10 years. The show contains more than 30 large-size artworks, touching upon the main topics of Pasqua’s oeuvre, i. e. confidence, cruelty, reflection of the seamy side of human nature.

The starting and final points for Philippe Pasqua are his sitters. The artist’s watchful eye notices individual features, the essence of each person. Pasqua’s artistic credo is uncompromising research of human nature and nature of the society. He is interested in the subject of standards as well as breach and violation of limits.
If Pasqua’s paintings depict the flesh only, then outlines of the human body are softened and airy in his drawings.
Pasqua’s pictures are associated with artworks by Lucian Freud and Jenny Saville, but a single glance is enough to recognize his unique style.

The «Paradis» monograph about the artist’s oeuvre, published by Skira publishing house, is timed to the exhibition in the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. The authors are Dmitry Ozerkov and David Rosenberg. The book presentation and the artist’s autograph session will happen at the opening reception.

The «Philippe Pasqua, l’insaisissable» film (directed by Nicolas Reynal, produced by Mark Rousseau, Jérôme Cheval, France Télévisions) is projected to be demonstrated during the exhibition. During the 2009-2010 year, the director has been following on the artist’s heels, recording everything what is going on in his life.

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«Pasqua’s painting is like a punch of rare strength, an image of really surgical accuracy. The matter always concerns large-size works: the minimum size of his paintings complies with the scale of the artist himself. As time goes by, the range of topics narrows down. First, there have been some fetishes and mysterious silhouettes that reminded of the Voodoo cult and primitive art, childbirth and surgical operations (sex-change surgery), dogs, newborn kids, men, women, transsexual persons. At present, they are mainly bodies and faces. There are practically no additional objects or details near human figures. To paint for Pasqua is to photograph, first of all.

A split second is enough to catch a fleeting look, gesture or pose. The photos are developed and printed on paper. They cover tables in the studio or are pinned up on the walls. It may be a picture of a strange man or woman, recently met by the artist. But he prefers working with sitters, he knows and has been painting for years. Constance, Ann, Arno, Kafi, Lora are the names that continue emerging in the list of works.

In addition to Pasqua’s fleshy painting, there are also his drawings. The body and the face become an aureole, mist, haze, stroke, vibration of the air in them. The issue is of the form, silhouette and refined texture rather than the flesh.

David Rosenberg

Biography

Philippe Pasqua was born in 1965, in Grasse. He lives and works in Paris.

Pasqua devoted himself to painting and sculpture in the 1990s. At present he is reputed one of the most significant artists of his generation. Many famed authors wrote about him, including Pierre Restany and Michel Valdberg.

Philippe Pasqua’s artworks are in many celebrated collections of France and other countries. They are often exhibited in the state and private centers of contemporary art. Pasqua’s two colossal sculptures have been recently displayed in the avenue des Champs-Élysées, in Paris, and have partaken in the 53rd Modern Art Biennale of Venice. In the beginning of 2010, a retrospective show of the artist was of great success in the Ahlers Foundation (Hanover, Germany).

Soon, the «Philippe Pasqua, l’insaisissable» film will be released.

THE INNOVATIVE PARTNER OF THE MUSEUM