When forty artists whose task it is to modify the usual functioning of the mind converge in force and in unusualness, from Grenoble, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Rouen, Uzerche, Chartres, Nantes, Châteaudun etc... towards the Cartesian capital of the garden of France, this cannot fail to make a noise and pose problems to a public that is alternately disconcerted or enthusiastic. Avant-garde painting, of course, but also a climate of confrontation, movement and life, developed in autonomous, patient and obstinate provincial cells, far from the Parisian circuits of formalist distribution. This creative activity, born of the environment in which it took place, bears the mark of an unparalleled dynamism, which was bound to come to the fore sooner or later. That day came, carefully and insidiously prepared, in the heart of France, in Tours, by Peter Valentiner and Charles le Bouil.
This first exhibition, which manifested the various current trends in art being developed in the provinces, was to be a landmark event and the starting point for a succession of events that would take place throughout France, outside Paris, and in particular at the forthcoming Salon d'automne in Lyon. From this young school of Grenoble, whose "honour" was paid by René Deroudille in "Dernière Heure Lyonnaise", we must retain the participation of Carrier, Dody and Unal, whose collective works were highly noticed by the public in Tours. Lyon is also represented by the delightful Hélène Edna, whose delicate and pink impudence, encircled by iron, was to offend the prudish Albion so much at the London exhibition in 1966, and Marceaux Hubert with his low sky and his N. evening. For the South-East, let us mention Jo Girodon, from Saint-Etienne, and the powerful and spiritual team from Nice with ten artists, Alocco, Ben, Chubac, Dolla, Farhi, Miguel, Pagès, Saytour, Viallat and Maccaféri. This exhibition also includes the promising talents of Limerat (Nantes), Poli (Rouen), Valentiner, Le Bovil, Aimelet, Collandre, Gus, Lemerre, Saint-Louis, Sergiefff, Brejeaud, Yollande Tanchon, Bourliaud, Franchauser and the Modue team; Michèle Coutier, Barcy, Chenue (Tours), Ramon (Corrèze), Morice, Divi, Jan Van Holte, etc. All these artists will be on display at the Tours municipal library until 22 May.
Dauphiné Libéré
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