Biographical Data
Born in Geneva, Switzwerland, in 1938. He lives and works in Paris. Daniel Humair, a musician, starts developing his drawing skills at the age of twelve and begins painting in 1962. His first individual exhibition takes place in 1965. In 1967 he begins animating the ARC jazz workshops in the Musée d’art moderne de la ville de Paris. A world-wide famous jazz drummer, creator of cinema and television soundtracks, he has worked in his music and painting simultaneously.
Brief Chronology
In the 60’s; Daniel Humair does acrylic painting, using different texture paper and bright colors; he sees objects as “space occupations” and through the use of grafitti, of automatic movements that constitute the diversity of his shapes, expresses them (Albinant, 1967; Couverture, 1978). In time, his shapes become more abstract and his writing, more allusive. He treats painting as he treats music, with a controlled improvisation; he wants to “run risks”, invent new shapes, find “the moment of crossing boundaries in his artistic work”. He starts polishing his technique and transfers his first trace unto a second surface before adding solid colors on “scratched” surfaces (Reverdise, 1995; Les chiffres hilletrés, 2000). He says his art is “spontaneous painting, made up of controlled randomness”.
P.L.T.
Angoudilemna, 1991, Mixed technique on cardboard, 112 x 75 cm / 44 x 29,5 in.