Biographical Data

Born in Lille, France, in 1938. He lives and works in Paris. Jean-Michel Meurice studies at the Fine Arts Academy in Tournai. His first individual exhibition takes place in 1962. His work is related with the Support/Surface movement. At the same time he works on documentary films, mainly centered on artists, for television. He is one of the founders of the Arte TV channel and runs it from 1986 to 1989. In 1992 he is awarded the Grand Prix National for his audiovisual creation.

Brief Chronology

From 1960 to 1970, Jean-Michel Meurice reflects on the different painting procedures, on the use of materials, on the organization of the canvas’s surface: “I seek blindly something I foresee”. He uses all sorts of materials (fabrics, vinyl, aluminum, rhodium, etc.). His surfaces are completely covered up with traces (Barnum, 1963), splashes (“espitures”), paint, ruler lines, stripes (Encres à bandes, 1961; Encres à points, 1961), scratches, colors, inks. He wants to “paint color”, make its intensity come forth. In the 80’s he begins working with leaf stamps; Matisse’s decorative motifs are used in his colorful country landscapes (Tagasode Ku, 2004), they appear under different forms: crosses, oval formats or tondos, etc. He wants “nowadays and after Matisse, to simplify drawing turning it into graffism, reduce it to the minimum possible space, eliminating the form and the theatrical effect of movement.”

P.L.T.

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Tuscania 16, 1990, Acrylic on canvas, 200 x 200 cm / 78,7 x 78,7 in.Tuscania 16, 1990, Acrylic on canvas, 200 x 200 cm / 78,7 x 78,7 in.