Born 1952 in Chalon-sur-Saône, France, Monique lives and works in Vallauris, France and Pamparato Serra, Italy. Due to her father, who was painter, she got early in contact with art. After a diploma at the Ecole Municipale de Dessin, Art et Technique (Municipal school of drawing, arts and techniques) in her hometown and studies of sculpture at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts de Lyon (National School of Fine Arts in Lyon), she entered the Ecole d’Art et d’Architecture de Marseille Luminy (School or Fine Arts and Architecture of Marseille Luminy). Here she obtained her national diploma under the tutelage of Claude Viallat, followed by a specialisation in the section of Statuary at the same school. During the time at Luminy she also got interested in art history encouraged by the lectures of Ben Vautier. In the artistic outcome, this source of inspiration became visible in references to other artists.
Anti-busts
Her decision to use the anti-bust – an antithesis of the traditional bust – as her canvas is due to the influence of her teacher in Marseille. Claude Viallat was co-founder of the artistic group “Support-Surface”, which questioned the traditional painting support. The “deconstruction” of the painting in its constituting elements led to new artistic practices: instead of using the classical canvas on chassis, they dissociated the picture surface from the stretcher. They used different textiles, recycled found objects or worked on wood and strings. The traditional subject got less important and the materials, the creative motion and the final artwork shifted into the centre of their work.
Monique worked as well with diverse supports, but the base-subject is always the same. She created anti-busts inter alia from resin, tissues or on paper. When she settled after the end of her studies 1977 in Vallauris, she as well introduced ceramics in her canon of materials. Her sculptures are in all possible sizes. The anti-busts might be little statuettes or larger than life size and they might be composed of various materials. The results are sitting, standing or walking.
A few years ago, Monique introduced found or created objects to her sculptures, starting with animal skulls. These Hybrid Forms have their contact to earth by the feet and legs of the anti-bust, but refer also to the sky. It was as well her way to handle her anxiety of death, since the opposition earth and sky or heaven incarnates for her life and death. Our artwork of the month / January 2016 was from this series.
Drawings and collages
Besides her sculptural activities, Monique always made drawings, which she never exposed. The drawings and collages are an add-on to the anti-busts and were not preparative to them. At one point of her career, she left the three-dimensional work in benefit to the two-dimensional. Nevertheless, her drawings are often on paper of different strength and pasted on other supports. Therefore, they have an aspect of relief.
Additionally, Monique introduced imprints in her oeuvre. There might be vegetal or – like in our Artwork of the month of September 2017 – human traces. On the other hand, she stamps with her relief drawings on other materials like clay.
Further activities
During her carrier, she has formed a rich and varied artistic work, which was shown in numerous personal and group exhibitions in France, Monaco, Germany and Italy. A film by Renaud Maridet “La trace de l’invisible” (The track of the invisible), where Monique elucidates her artistic background, illustrates well her approach.
Supplementary to her personal creations she cooperated with several different artists and institutions. Monique created and creates with Ben Vautier performances and joint sculptures. With him, Max Charvolen and Jean Jacques Laurent she conceived exhibitions. For Giorgio Laveri she has done scenography and film decors. Raphaël Monticelli wrote texts for her publications. In 2015, she founded with Jean Jacques Laurent the Galerie Itinéraire in Vallauris, which is today directed by Jean Jacques’ grandson Enzo Armando. Moreover, she is represented by several galleries in France and Italy.
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