The Oceanside Museum of Art Presents Works by Françoise Gilot

Written by Jonathan Lawrie Thursday, 05 April 2012 22:10

Oceanside, CA.- The Oceanside Museum of Art presents "Transitions: Works by Françoise Gilot" until November 13th. Interested in mythology, symbolism, and the power of memory, French/American artist Françoise Gilot expresses complex philosophical ideas with lyrical accessibility. Transitions: Works by Françoise Gilot features a collection of oil paintings and works on paper that highlight her interest in color relationships and the fine line between figuration and abstraction.

Gilot uses abstract organic shapes to reflect her interest in the formal arrangements of lines and planes, tone-color coordination, and her respect for simplicity. Also known for her earlier relationship with 20th century icon Pablo Picasso, Gilot resided for many years in La Jolla with her husband, polio vaccine pioneer Dr. Jonas Salk. Gilot currently divides her time between studios in New York and Paris.

The theme of this exhibition explores the transitions in Gilot’s life and work that formed her artistic voice. Relying on structures, rhythms and color, Gilot often challenges the boundaries between figuration and abstraction by evoking rather than describing, to heighten the surface tension of the canvas and to entice and engage the imagination of the viewer. Featuring over 40 works of art,  including oil paintings, watercolors, gouaches, monotypes and original prints, this exhibition will explore the evolution of Gilot’s unique abstract, symbolist style from the early 1960s to her more current work. Born in Paris in 1921, Françoise Gilot has exhibited her work for more than seventy years. She continues to be a vital presence in the art world, creating a bridge between the School of Paris of the 1940s and 1950s and the contemporary American art scene.  In 1943, during the time of her first exhibition in Paris, Gilot met Pablo Picasso, an artist 40 years her senior. In 1946, Gilot and Picasso began a decade-long relationship as she became both a witness and a participant in one of the last great periods of the modern art movement in Europe.

Their circle included poets, philosophers, writers, and many legends of the art world, such as Georges Braque, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, and Henri Matisse. This artistic union was also shared with their two children, Claude and Paloma, whose antics and acrobatic postures were often captured in drawings and paintings. By late 1953, the relationship with Picasso had run its course and Gilot left the home they shared in Vallauris and returned to Paris with their children. During the 1950s and 1960s, Gilot continued the trajectory of her artistic explorations with studios in London, Paris and  the south of France. In 1969, during an exhibition of her work in Los Angeles, Gilot traveled to La Jolla and was introduced to Dr. Jonas Salk. The kinship was immediate and they were married in Paris in June of 1970.  Their  25-year marriage was truly the merging of science and art and Gilot traveled between her studios in La Jolla, New York and Paris as her career continued to evolve and thrive.

Paintings, drawings, monotypes, and original prints by Francoise Gilot are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums throughout Europe and the United States including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Musee Picasso, Antibes, France, Phoenix Art Museum and the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris. Also a writer and poet of note, Gilot is the author of a number of books, the best known of which are Life With Picasso (1964), The Fugitive Eye (1976), Interface: The Painter and the Mask (1983), An Artist’s Journey (1987), and Matisse and Picasso: A Friendship in Art (1990).

Oceanside Museum of Art is a cultural jewel located in downtown Oceanside with a view of the Pacific Ocean and the historic Oceanside Pier. The museum presents provocative, contemporary exhibitions from the region and around the world. OMA offers art instruction at the OMA School of Art, concerts, films, lectures, docent tours, and the OMA Museum Store. Oceanside Museum of Art is a gathering place where friends meet to share and enjoy the rich cultural experiences available in the region. In addition to a progressive exhibition schedule, Oceanside Museum of Art is housed in side-by-side buildings designed by two of southern California’s most renowned Modernist architects. The classic Irving Gill designed building is nestled against the contemporary Frederick Fisher designed Central Pavilion creating the perfect union of past and present architecture. Exhibitions showcase the finest art of the southern California region from landscape paintings to studio furniture, neon sculpture, art quilts, and architectural glass. OMA’s galleries feature on enlightening survey of contemporary art enriched by the cultures of the community. The museum’s galleries are redesigned for each exhibition, surprising visitors with a fresh, exciting visual transformation for every new exhibit. Visit the museum's website at ... http://www.oma-online.org

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