Joseph Rivière

JOSEPH RIVIERE (Tours, 1912-Paris, 1961).
"L'homme qui tombe", 1952.
Polyester.
Measurements: 96 x 112 x 47 cm.
Exhibitions: "European sculpture of the 20th century", European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, 2014.

The body is suspended in a violent and unnatural rotation. There is no stable foothold on the ground; the man seems to have been captured in a split second of pure vertigo. Despite the fall, the torso shows tense and defined musculature, suggesting a futile struggle against fate or gravity. The open arms and legs in different planes accentuate this sense of kinetic disorder. The head is thrown back, with an expression that mixes surprise and fatalistic acceptance, typical of the existential angst of the 1950s.
Rivière was a French sculptor who developed his artistic maturity in post-war Paris. His work evolved from an early classicism towards more tormented and dynamic forms. He is often associated with the current that sought to represent the human condition after the traumas of World War II. His works are in important French public collections, and he is recognized for his ability to capture extreme movement.