James Coignard

JAMES COIGNARD (Tours, 1925 - Mougins, 2008).
"Composition".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 35,5 x 45,5 cm; 40,5 x 50,5 cm (approx. with frame).

Abstract composition in which James Coignard articulates the space by means of two big white forms of dense texture, confronted on a background of greens and blues. The central vertical line, the graphic signs and the incorporated letters introduce a calligraphic and symbolic dimension, very characteristic of his plastic language.

The work reflects the artist's interest in matter, the sign and the superimposition of planes, aspects that he developed both in painting and in his renowned graphic production. Coignard trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Nice and, in his early years, contact with Henri Matisse, Georges Braque and Marc Chagall influenced his artistic evolution, especially his sensitivity to color and composition.

From the late sixties onwards, he stood out for his mastery of carborundum engraving, a technique of which he is considered one of the great masters. His work is represented in institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among other public collections.