Biographical Data
Born in La Redorte, Aude, in 1948. Philippe Cazal lives and works in Paris. He studies at the l‘École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in París (1969-1973). In 1975 he becomes one of the cofounders of the Untel group made up of Jean-Paul Albinet, Philippe Cazal, Alain Snyers (1975-1978), and, later, Wilfrid Rouff (1978-1980). In 1980, after organizing in New York the exhibition Une idée en l’air, in which 25 French artists participate (White Columns), he resumes his artistic work. In 1983 he edits the magazine Public. His first personal exhibition takes place in 1984. At present he teaches at l’École des Beaux-arts in Dijon.
Brief Chronology
Philippe Cazal begins his artistic career with interventions and object assemblages that make reference to consumer society (Conservations series). With Untel he carries out a critical analysis of everyday life in an urban environment through interventions, actions, exhibitions, texts, photos, press clippings, etc. The group makes interventions in the urban space involving the public, passersby and, through them, society with its contradictions. They exhibit certified documents of their concerns about social, economical and political reality; about everyday reality. In 1975, Cazal commissions a logo of his name, it will become his signature as an “advertising artist” (PC or Philippe Cazal on a black and white band) and becomes a “corporate image” playing with marketing and advertising codes. In the 80’s, following the same idea, he uses advertising page layouts in his installations and photographic collages, he becomes a product (L’artiste dans son milieu, 1985). In 1986 he begins using neon signs to enhance the relation between image and text. The word-images, the slogans, that can be painted or stuck on the walls, silk screened printed and cut into different shapes, offer various possible interpretations (dialectic/ political/poetic), they may either be perfectly legible or seem senseless. Recently, he has created videos, installations and intervened in urban spaces in answer to commissions (Rennes airport, 2005).
P.L.T.
DESORDRES / DES ORDRES, diptyque, œuvre multiple en 3 ex (exemplaire n°1), 2009, Red and black plastic sheets, laser cut, 80 x 80 x 0,15 cm chaque / 31,5 x 31,5 x 0,06 inch each
La solitud de la pensée (2009), withe plastic sheet, laser cut, 120 x 80 x 1,5 cm / 47,2 x 31,4 x 0,5 in